BERLIN // Wolfsburg are waiting on the fitness of goal-scoring Germany midfielder Julian Draxler for Tuesday night’s Uefa Champions League, last-16 second-leg clash at home to Ghent.
Draxler netted twice in Wolfsburg’s 3-2 win in Belgium in the first leg and scored in both of the German Cup holders’ Bundesliga wins over Hannover and Borussia Moenchengladbach last week.
Draxler, who picked up a knee ligament injury after netting the opener in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Gladbach, is desperate to help Wolfsburg try and reach the quarter-finals in Europe for the first time.
“It should be OK by [tomorrow],” said Draxler, 22, who has made 16 appearances for Germany and was part of the 2014 World Cup-winning squad. “I mean, we are playing in the Champions League. Your legs run by themselves on occasions like that.
“This is a great opportunity to make history for the club.”
Read more: Uefa Champions League last 16 – Everything you need to know
Striker Max Kruse is also an injury concern for Wolfsburg with a thigh injury after also scoring against Gladbach.
The Germans are coming into the return leg with the upper hand and fresh from back-to-back Bundesliga wins, but having raced into a 3-0 lead at Ghent three weeks ago, they left the door open as the Belgians roared back with two goals in the last 10 minutes to give them hope at the Volkswagen Arena.
“We know that the thing hasn’t run its course yet, but if we play the way we did against Gladbach then we’ll reach the next round,” Wolfsburg’s director of sport Klaus Allofs said.
Belgian champion Ghent’s form has gone off the boil in recent weeks with just two wins in their past seven games in all competitions.
A 1-1 draw at home to struggling Leuven on Friday left them two points behind Pro League leaders Club Brugge in second place, but they remain right in contention for a second straight Belgian title and have everything to play for at Wolfsburg.
Like Wolfsburg, they are in the last 16 of Europe for the first time and are eager to make more history.
Ghent goalkeeper Matz Sels said the Belgians need the same fighting spirit they showed in the first leg.
“When it was 0-3 here, it looked like it would just be a city trip” to visit Wolfsburg, said the shot-stopper. “But we are still in the match thanks to our two goals.
“We should not throw everything open from the beginning, because conceding a goal early on could be deadly.”
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