Hosts Brighton & Hove Albion will aim to use their final pre-season friendly on Saturday at the Amex against Wolfsburg to get up to speed before the start of their Premier League campaign.
The Seagulls will face Fulham a week from Saturday in matchday one of the 2025-26 English top flight, whereas their German opponents will begin their domestic season with a clash against SV Hemelingen on August 16 in the first round of the DFB-Pokal.
Match preview
Brighton & Hove Albionbounced back from a disappointing 2023-24 season in which they finished 11th with 48 points by finishing eighth last term with 61 points.
They have only bettered that tally once in the eight seasons since they were promoted from the Championship in 2016-17, with the club collecting 62 points in 2022-23.
Manager Fabian Hurzeler deserves immense credit considering he is relatively inexperienced as a coach at just 32 years old, and the 2024-25 campaign was in fact his first top-flight season in charge of any club.
The Seagulls were strong offensively last term - their return of 66 league goals was the joint fifth best in the division - but they were let down by their displays at the other end of the pitch, conceding the second most in the top 15 (69).
Brighton are unbeaten in pre-season so far, winning twice and drawing once, with the club settling for a 2-2 stalemate on August 2 with Southampton.
Hurzeler's side also avoided defeat in their final four games at the Amex in 2024-25, beating West Ham United and Liverpool while drawing with Newcastle United and Leicester City.
Brighton & Hove Albion's Fabian Hurzeler pictured on December 15, 2024
Wolfsburg endured a turbulent 2024-25 campaign given Ralph Hasenhuttl was sacked as boss in earlier May after their winless streak was increased to eight games following their 4-0 loss against Borussia Dortmund on May 3.
Paul Simonis was appointed in June as Hasenhuttl's replacement, and the former Go Ahead Eagles boss only has one season of management under his belt, though he did successfully lead the Dutch side to triumph in the KNVB Cup, their first major silverware since 1932-33.
The Wolves' final placement of 11th was an improvement on 2023-24 (12th), while their points total of 43 was six more than their previous tally.
Simonis's side ended the most recent campaign having scored 56 goals and conceded on 54 occasions, the fifth best offensive and seventh worst defensive records in the Bundesliga.
Wolfsburg head to the Amex on the back of two defeats in friendlies, including a 4-0 loss against Feyenoord on August 2.
The visitors closed out the 2024-25 season with several poor displays away from home, suffering three defeats, drawing once and winning just once of their last five matches on the road.
Brighton & Hove Albion Club Friendlies form:
Wolfsburg Club Friendlies form:
Team News
Konstantinos Koulierakis of Wolfsburg during his side's match against Werder Bremen, on March 1, 2025
Brighton have an array of attacking options to choose from, though Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh are certain to play some part on Saturday.
Diego Gomez and Yasin Ayari were paired together in a double pivot against Southampton, and they could be given another opportunity to impress.
Left-back Maxim De Cuyper was signed from Club Brugge and is likely to start, while Lewis Dunk, Jan Paul van Hecke and Mats Wieffer may make up the rest of the back four.
Meanwhile, Wolfsburg talisman Mohamed El Amine Amoura, who scored 10 goals and provided nine assists in the Bundesliga last term, can be expected to feature up front.
New midfield addition Vinicius Souza could be partnered in the middle of the pitch Mattias Svanberg.
Souza and Svanberg will be asked to defend a back four, which may be marshalled by centre-backs Denis Vavro and Konstantinos Koulierakis.
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper; Gomez, Ayari; Minteh, O'Riley, Mitoma; Rutter
Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Grabara; Fischer, Vavro, Koulierakis, Maehle; Svanberg, Vinicius; Olsen, Majer, Wimmer; Amoura
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We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 Wolfsburg
Brighton have enjoyed a more successful pre-season in terms of results so far, and they should be confident of beating their German visitors.
Wolfsburg's defensive record has been concerning for some time, and they may concede on multiple occasions on Saturday at the Amex.
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