Judging solely by the starting lineup, Bayern was also very wary of Wolfsburg's strength, essentially fielding a full-strength squad.
And before the match, in the away team's locker room, Guardiola was also giving a pep talk:
"Remember, never take them lightly!"
"Forget how many points we're ahead by, focus on this match!"
Guardiola's deep, powerful voice echoed in the locker room. Dressed in a turtleneck sweater and trench coat, he pointed to his temples, repeatedly emphasizing his points to his disciples.
Although it was only his first season in charge.
However, Guardiola's formidable coaching record and numerous weighty championships were enough to earn him the recognition of Bayern's superstars, allowing him to quickly take control of the locker room.
Of course, some people didn't quite like his tiki-taka tactical system, but they only grumbled about it in their hearts.
As Guardiola's possession-based tactics and Bayern's sharp offense formed a strong contrast, the tactical change became a test for the treble-winning Bayern.
However, Guardiola was very clever and did not make drastic reforms in his first season, only making minor adjustments to the lineup and tactics.
For example, pushing full-back Lahm into midfield as a defensive midfielder... As the team gradually adopted the Barça system, Bayern's average possession rate skyrocketed.
Bayern's new style of play completely baffled the other Bundesliga teams.
The old methods of dealing with Bayern no longer worked, so how were they supposed to play?!
As the season progressed and the players became familiar with the new tactical approach, Bayern's dominance in matches grew stronger and stronger!
Meanwhile, in the home team's locker room on the other side... "In this match, we need to utilize the width of the pitch more, making breakthroughs on the wings..."
Standing next to the white tactics board, Hecking made his final pre-match tactical arrangements with a marker pen in hand.
For this match, Wolfsburg largely retained the same lineup from the previous game.
However, Mark did not start again, but was once again placed on the substitute bench.
Although Mark performed excellently in the previous match, starting and completing a goal and an assist.
However, his issues with poor stamina and low defensive involvement were also fully exposed.
This match against League leader Bayern was bound to be a difficult one.
Especially the defense, which would certainly be under immense pressure.
The two wingers would inevitably have to frequently track back into their own half to protect the full-backs.
This required ample stamina to support their constant shuttling back and forth.
Therefore, this was also Hecking's reason for placing Mark on the substitute bench.
In addition to having Mark on standby as a substitute again, Hecking also made a tactical change in the attacking personnel combination:
That was to swap Perisic and Caligiuri!
Perisic is left-footed, and Caligiuri is right-footed. Traditionally, according to the team's usual tactical approach, they would play as inverted wingers, then complete breakthroughs or crosses from the wing to find the striker.
However, both are wingers who can play on either side.
And after swapping positions, their playing style changed from inverted wingers to inverted wingers.
The purpose of doing this, of course, was to catch Bayern by surprise!
Because Bayern's two center-backs, Jérôme Boateng and Dante, have absolute control over aerial balls, high crosses would not be very threatening.
Therefore, in order to continue tearing open the defense on the wings, he chose to swap the two wingers.
Both Perisic on the right and Caligiuri on the left have a certain degree of individual breakthrough ability.
After cutting inside with their weaker foot, combining with De Bruyne and Dost in the center would be even more threatening!
It is worth mentioning that after the starting lineup was announced yesterday, Hecking specifically called Mark, who was not on the list, to his office to explain why he was not starting.
After all, Mark performed so well in the last match against Hoffenheim, yet he couldn't start against an opponent like Bayern; any ambitious player would feel unhappy about that.
And in Mark's opinion, not being able to start against a top club like Bayern was indeed a bit of a shame.
However, after the coach's explanation and reassurance, he expressed his understanding.
Since the coach personally explained it to him, he naturally had to show respect.
Besides, in such a match, his defensive contribution was indeed inferior to that of his other teammates.
Instead of starting and exhausting his already limited stamina on defense, it would be better to wait until the opponent was mostly tired in the second half, and then go on to use his dribbling to create offensive threats for the team!
...Inside the Volkswagen Arena, every seat was occupied.
The stands were already dyed green.
"This is Sky Sports bringing you live coverage..."
"The focus match of the twenty-fourth round of the Bundesliga, Wolfsburg hosts the undefeated League leaders Bayern Munich!"
"Although it's impossible to stop the Bundesliga giants from winning the League, Wolfsburg isn't without the possibility of becoming the David who defeats the giant!"
"The players are entering the field..."
Sitting on the substitute bench, watching Bayern's starting eleven line up, Mark couldn't help but exclaim:
"This lineup is too luxurious..."
Neuer, Müller, Robben, Ribéry, Lahm, Kroos... Each of them is a famous superstar in the football world.
Now, the thought of potentially clashing with these football superstars on the field made Mark feel his blood boil!
Bundesliga leader, let me see how strong you really are!
This season, with the arrival of Guardiola and the faltering of Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich was unstoppable.
After twenty-three League rounds, Bayern achieved a terrifying record of twenty-one wins and two draws, without a single defeat!
And such a Bayern, who hadn't lost all season, was the strongest opponent Wolfsburg could face!
However, Wolfsburg, with the home advantage, showed no fear or pressure.
You have to know, this is the Bundesliga leader.
Losing is completely acceptable.
But if they were to win, they would make history, becoming the superhero admired by all sixteen other teams in the entire Bundesliga!
Therefore, after the kickoff, amidst the cheers and shouts of the home fans, the Wolfsburg players also actively launched an attack!
Perhaps due to the impact of international matches, the Bayern superstars generally appeared less excited, and their running was not as active.
On the other hand, Wolfsburg immediately adopted a posture of fighting Bayern to the death.
The two wingers, Perisic and Caligiuri, also frequently took the ball and made breakthroughs, attempting to tear open the defense on the wings.
In the thirteenth minute of the match, Caligiuri broke through on the left and shot, the ball hit Jérôme Boateng and flew out of bounds.
Wolfsburg earned a corner kick.
The corner kick taken by Ricardo Rodriguez was headed out by a Bayern player, but it came to De Bruyne's feet on the left side of the big penalty area.
Looking at the several tall players in the box, De Bruyne curled a half-volley cross with his left foot.
The ball traced an elegant arc in the air, flying exactly over the heads of the two tall Bayern center-backs in the middle, arriving at the back post area.
The Brazilian center-back Naldo, getting ahead of Alaba, stretched out his long leg and completed a flick shot!
The ball went right into the bottom right corner of the goal, and Neuer could only raise his hand, signaling offside.
However, the assistant referee did not raise his flag, and the main referee blew his whistle, raising his hand to point to the center circle.
Goal allowed!
Wolfsburg had taken the lead so early in the match!
However, facing this situation, Bayern fans were not at all flustered; instead, they showed a cruel smile.
Facing the The King of the South who dominates the Bundesliga, you dare to strike first?!