Wolfsburg: Champions League Adventure without Kevin de Bruyne

This Tuesday is an important day for VfL Wolfsburg - the match against CSKA Moscow means it is the second Champions League time in the club's history after 2009.

The biggest competition in club football is regarded as being a suitable stage by Wolfsburg's powerful owner - the German car maker Volkswagen (VW).

The strategy for the global player is to gain worldwide awareness through top class football. It has worked well in the weeks before kick-off but did not entirely satisfy Volkswagen's expectations after the hundreds of millions the company has invested over the years.

For a long time the Wolfsburg crowd's favorite song was: "In Europe everybody knows us, but only because of our employer".

Now many football fans know the automobile city which first started producing vehicles in 1938 for another reason. Wolfsburg is now known as the club that sold Kevin de Bruyne to Manchester City for the gigantic sum of up to 80 million euro.

The club from Germany's north captured the headlines but lost its most valuable (and best) player shortly before the Champions League was about to start. It leads to the question: Has the 2009 German Champion sold off its best chance of going a long way in this season`s competition?

Nevertheless expectations in Wolfsburg are high when it comes to the group matches against Moscow, PSV Eindhoven and Group B favorites, Manchester United. The 2015 German cup winner and league runner-up is talking about the knock-out stage, meaning: They want to survive the group.

"We are not regarded as beginners by anyone anymore," said a confident Klaus Allofs, the General Manager and former German international striker. But doubts regarding the team's international quality remain as they do for the club's plans to be Germany's No. 2 behind global player Bayern Munich.

De Bruyne - who was increasingly regarded as a problem after his transfer seem to take ages - is gone and Wolfsburg is relying on talented German youngsters and squad members of the German national team like Julian Draxler (36 million euro from Schalke 04), who was on the list of Juventus, Andre Schuerrle (32 million from Chelsea) and Max Kruse (13 million from Borussia Moenchengladbach) - and former Bayern Munich defender, Brazilian-born Dante. Draxler (who upset Juventus when refusing their offer) and Dante joined the team the coached by Dieter Hecking only a few weeks ago. It is why Wolfsburg's team still appears to resemble a building site not quite ready to take on the Champions League challenge.

But they seem to be capable of beating opponents like Eindhoven and Moscow (the group second-placed goes through to the last 16 makes it to the next stage) but still have to prove their international quality. Last season, when Wolfsburg started in the Euro League (after four European absence) they were easily beaten by Napoli (6-3 on aggregate) in the last eight.

"Things have changed. Back then we went out on the pitch awestruck. This time we have far more experience," said board member Allofs.

Swiss-born keeper Diego Benaglio (with Wolfsburg since 2009), Luiz Gustavo, Dante (Bayern Munich), Naldo, Aron Hunt (Werder Bremen), Andre Schurrle (Leverkusen), Julian Draxler (Schalke 04) and Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal) can fall back on Champions League experience. Brazilians Gustavo and Dante also won the title in 2013.

"We are 2015 cup winners league runners-up - so I'm sure our opponents won't like it too much to play us despite not being on the same level as Real Madrid, FC Barcelona or Bayern Munich," continued Allofs.

"To make it quite clear, we don't want to say goodbye after just six games. Quite the contrary, our goal is the next round. I am sure we have gained international experience in last season's Euro League."

Looking at the changes in the team (in addition to De Bruyne, Ivan Perisic moved to Inter Milan) Wolfsburg's "new" squad has to gel to be competitive.

It might appear strange that two of the three group opponents are the same as in 2009/2010. Six years ago Manchester United beat Wolfsburg 5-2 on aggregate. Against Moscow, Wolfsburg won 4-3 on aggregate but, as third in the group, only qualified for the Euro League after the Champions League group stage.

Tactics-wise coach Hecking is focused on a highly "versatile" attacking game - wanting his players to change positions within a basic 4-2-3-1 system during the game. When not in possession, the idea is for them to be clearly structured to win back the ball. In defense, central defenders Naldo and Dante have experience but lack speed which might be a risk. Schuerrle, Kruse (both possibly down the flanks), Draxler, Daniel Caligiuri in midfield and up front Bas Dost are responsible for the ideas going forward.

"Games in the Champions League are a great thing for our reputation and Volkswagen's reputation too. We are looking forward to some very special football-nights. And I'm sure we're strong enough despite Kevin de Bruyne's departure," said director Allofs. Enditem