Wounded Wolfsburg insist they will use the pain of their last-minute German league defeat to beat Manchester United on Tuesday and book their place in the Champions League knockout phase.
Wolfsburg lead Group B and need just a point against Louis van Gaal’s United to reach the last 16 in Europe, but must win to be sure of progressing as group winners.
A sellout 26,400 crowd is expected, especially with the added spice of Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger set to feature for the Red Devils.
“We’re playing for the win,” said coach Dieter Hecking as defeat could see Wolfsburg miss out on the last 16 altogether.
The players are licking their wounds after losing 2-1 at home to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday when Japan midfielder Shinji Kawaga hit the winner with virtually the last kick of the Bundesliga match.
It was Wolfsburg’s first home defeat in 29 games.
In a dramatic final two minutes, Ricardo Rodriguez’s 90th-minute penalty put Wolfsburg level before Kagawa struck the winner just seconds before the final whistle.
“It was a very, very bitter defeat. It cost us so much strength to come back from 1-0 down and we took no points despite a good second half,” admitted Wolfsburg captain Diego Benaglio.
“It’s not a bad thing that our next game comes straight away and we have to get the Dortmund defeat out of our heads.”
Wolfsburg are eager to reach the knockout stages in Europe for the first time in the club’s history, almost six years to the day after losing to United 3-1 at home when they crashed out of the Champions League in 2009.
“We need to cut out the simple mistakes,” said Wolfsburg’s Germany midfielder Julian Draxler.
“If we play like we did in the second half against Dortmund, I am sure we will win against United.”
United are second in the group and must win in Wolfsburg to be sure of progressing.
Schweinsteiger will make his first appearance on German soil with United since his move from Bayern Munich and Manchester manager Van Gaal said they have yet to see the best of Germany’s skipper.
“I think he can play even better in every game,” Van Gaal said after Saturday’s goalless draw with West Ham in the Premier League.
“We haven’t seen the best of the Schweinsteiger I saw at Bayern Munich.”
The 31-year-old knows what awaits United at Wolfsburg’s Volkswagen Arena.
“It is a very important game for us and I know how hard it is in Wolfsburg,” Schweinsteiger told The Guardian.