Opposition Check: VfL Wolfsburg

In 2015, Wolfsburg won the DFB Cup for the first time, followed by the Supercup, and qualified for the Champions League once again. This time, their journey went significantly further: VfL Wolfsburg won their group ahead of PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, and CSKA Moscow, and prevailed against KAA Gent in the round of 16. For the first time, Wolfsburg were among the top eight teams in Europe.

And there, on April 6th, 2016, one of the greatest nights in the club’s history unfolded. In the first leg of the quarter-final, VfL Wolfsburg hosted Real Madrid and sensationally defeated the ten-time European Cup winners 2-0. Ricardo Rodríguez and Maximilian Arnold scored in the first half. Wolfsburg not only rattled Real Madrid but suddenly found themselves on the verge of the Champions League semi-finals.

However, six days later at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, it became clear why Cristiano Ronaldo was the defining figure of this Champions League era. Real Madrid turned the tie around with a 3-0 victory. Ronaldo scored all three goals. The man who was virtually unstoppable in Europe during those years also ended Wolfsburg’s dream. VfL Wolfsburg were eliminated with a 2-3 aggregate score. Nevertheless, the 2-0 victory in the first leg remains one of VfL Wolfsburg’s greatest European triumphs to this day.

The late defeat at St. Pauli was also the first game from which the Wolves returned home empty-handed. Eight points from the first five games currently puts VfL in fifth place in the table.

VfL Wolfsburg certainly isn’t lacking in shots on goal. Their star-studded attack has unleashed 91 shots in the first five matches of the season, more than any other second-division team. The Lower Saxony side is thus regularly managing to create promising situations and put the opposition’s penalty area under pressure. The problem from Wolfsburg’s perspective: this enormous number of shots hasn’t yet consistently translated into goals. In two of the five matches, VfL failed to score at all. At the same time, their ten goals this season demonstrate the potential of their attack. However, nine of those goals came in the 5-2 victory in Karlsruhe and the spectacular 4-4 draw against Cottbus. While Wolfsburg is generating chances and shots at a rapid pace, their conversion rate has been inconsistent so far.

Street football, friends from the neighbourhood, and the favelas not far away. Padre Miguel in western Rio de Janeiro. This is where Vinicius Souza grew up, and it’s where he still feels drawn back to. When he visits his hometown, the Bundesliga professional says he enjoys playing football shirtless with his friends on the street. At 17, Souza left Padre Miguel to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer. He never forgot his roots, though.

His path led him to Flamengo, not only to one of Brazil’s biggest clubs, but also to another Vinicius. Souza played alongside Vinicius Junior in the youth academy for almost six years. Apparently, two Vinis on one team were one too many, so Souza earned his nickname: „Vinicão,“ the big Vini. The friendship continues to this day, and they often spend time together in Brazil; their families are also well acquainted.

His first steps with Flamengo’s professional team couldn’t have been more Brazilian. In his very first season, Souza was part of the team that won the Copa Libertadores in 2019. His debut at the legendary Maracanã? Naturally, in a derby. Against Vasco da Gama, the then-young midfielder was substituted on in the state championship final in front of nearly 80,000 spectators. Souza later recalled that his legs were shaking. Shortly afterward, Flamengo equalised, and his team subsequently won on penalties. Perhaps this experience also explains why Souza says today that large stadiums and high-pressure situations give him extra energy.

On the pitch, however, there’s little sign of shaky legs these days. In England, Sheffield United fans nicknamed him „Mr. Consistency“ because of his reliability. In his final season there, the defensive midfielder won 60 percent of his duels, averaged 3.16 tackles per game, and even captained the Blades on occasion. He dedicated his only Premier League goal to his mother, after she had called him every day, urging him to finally meet her.

From the streets of Padre Miguel to the Maracanã, and on to the Premier League and Bundesliga: Vini Souza has experienced many different footballing worlds. One thing, above all, has remained constant: the physically robust, combative style of football that once earned him the nickname „Vinicão.“