VfL Wolfsburg 3 - 3 Mainz

VfL Wolfsburg v Mainz: Preview

Updated: October 30, 2009, 10:32 AM UK

Despite a start to the season which has failed to live up to the standards set last term, fans of Wolfsburg are showing unprecedented support for their side.

The VW-Arena will be full again for the visit of Mainz tomorrow while the club has today broken through the threshold of 15,000 official members.

That is an increase of over 6,000 compared to a year ago.

"We are delighted to have 15,000 members of Wolfsburg football club,'' said general manager Jurgen Marbach.

"Identification with this club has followed an upwards trend over the past year and many fans now want to demonstrate their affection for the club by becoming a member.''

However, coach Armin Veh does not see the same enthusiasm among the fans who he believes have set the bar too high for him this season.

"Of course I wish we had three points more, but are not so badly off that we have got to hang our heads in shame,'' he said.

"In the past, everybody would have been delighted to be in seventh position, but for some people now, it seems like a catastrophe.

"I sometimes get the feeling we have only two points.''

Instead, the Wolves have 17 points from the first 10 games of the season and a win over Mainz tomorrow could take them into the top five, and that is what he expects.

"We are favourites at home and have got to win this game,'' he added.

Mainz also have 17 points, which nobody really expected from a league newcomer.

And their coach Thomas Tuchel is confident his side can cause another upset after beating Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim already this season.

"If we have a bit of luck in the game, then we can also win against a strong team like Wolfsburg,'' he said.

He will be without striker Felix Borja while Elkin Soto is a doubt due to a sore knee.

Wolfsburg will definitely be without striker Grafite, who has been given a week's break back in Brazil. Obafemi Martins should take his place in attack.