Daniel Bauer Pivots to Moritz Jenz as Defensive Leader

omidbasir- Wolfsburg’s head coach, Daniel Bauer, has made the surprising decision to appoint the discontented German center-back Moritz Jenz as his main defensive pillar. Although Jenz has not been a consistent starter this season and was part of the reason why the Lower Saxon side sought additional central defenders during the recent January transfer window, he has now unexpectedly replaced regular starter Konstantinos Koulierakis in Bauer’s lineup.

Despite Koulierakis scoring his first Bundesliga goal in a matchday 21 loss to Dortmund, Bauer opted for Jenz in the recent match against Leipzig. The coach favors the experience of the 26-year-old Jenz, who has played the full 90 minutes in six of the team’s seven league fixtures this year.

In a recent press conference, Bauer expressed his preference for Jenz, who was once affectionately nicknamed ‘Mercedes’ by Celtic fans, over other available options. Jenz is expected to play a crucial role in guiding Wolfsburg out of the relegation zone. New arrivals Jeanuël Belocian and Jonas Adjetey are not anticipated to displace Jenz from his position alongside Denis Vavro.

Bauer emphasized the importance of finding stability in defense, stating, “The important thing is that we locate stability at the position. Moritz is already the type of [veteran] defensive leader we need. We need someone to anchor the team. That’s why he got the nod over Koulie [Koulierakis]. We don’t have the tallest team, but Moritz and Denis give us two giants on set pieces.”