Newcomers Wolfsburg await Real Madrid visit

VfL Wolfsburg and Real Madrid CF are at the opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of UEFA Champions League quarter-final experience as they prepare for the first leg in Germany.

Previous meetings
• This is the sides' first meeting – and only Wolfsburg's fifth game against Spanish opposition.

Match background

Wolfsburg
• In their second UEFA Champions League campaign following their 2009/10 debut, Wolfsburg are in the knockout stages for the first time.

• This is the German club's third quarter-final in a major UEFA competition. Beaten 3-1 on aggregate by Fulham FC in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League (1-2 away, 0-1 home), they also lost to SSC Napoli at the same stage of last season's competition (1-4 home, 2-2 away).

• Wolfsburg have won all four of their home games in this season's competition, including a 1-0 victory against KAA Gent in the round of 16 to complete a 4-2 aggregate success.

• Prior to losing to Napoli, in last season's UEFA Europa League Dieter Hecking's men beat Sporting Clube de Portugal in the round of 32 (2-0 home, 0-0 away) and FC Internazionale Milano (3-1 home, 2-1 away) in the round of 16. That Napoli defeat is therefore Wolfsburg's only loss in their last seven European home games; the other six matches were all won.

• Wolfsburg have won only one of their four previous games against Spanish opponents – the most recent, when they beat Villarreal 4-1 at home in the 2009/10 round of 32 second leg for a 6-3 aggregate success. They lost home (2-3) and away (1-2) to Club Atlético de Madrid in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup third round.

Real Madrid
• Madrid are in the quarter-finals for the sixth season in a row – they have won their last five and nine of the last ten. Their European Cup quarter-final record is W26 L6.

• The Merengues are one of two sides still unbeaten in this season's competition, along with FC Barcelona. Their away record this term is W3 D1.

• The 2-1 loss at Juventus in last season's semi-final first leg is Madrid's only defeat in their last 11 European away games, with eight victories in that time.

• Madrid's record in two-legged ties with German clubs in UEFA competition is W12 L8. They have won the most recent four, scoring 22 goals in the process.

• Madrid have won on three of their last four trips to Germany, but before that had managed only one victory in their previous 25 – a run that included 18 defeats. Their record away to Bundesliga clubs is now P28 W4 D6 L18; overall it is P60 W28 D10 L22.

• Madrid lost their most recent fixture against German opposition, 4-3 at home to FC Schalke 04 in last season's round of 16 second leg, yet still prevailed in that tie having triumphed 2-0 away.

Coach and player links
• Wolfsburg's Julian Draxler was in the Schalke team beaten by Madrid in the 2013/14 round of 16, losing 6-1 in Gelsenkirchen and 3-1 in Spain. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema all scored twice in the first leg, Ronaldo adding two more at the Santiago Bernabéu.

• Toni Kroos scored at the VfL Wolfsburg Arena for Bayer 04 Leverkusen, where he was on loan from FC Bayern München, on 18 April 2009. Wolfsburg went on to win 2-1.

• Josuha Guilavogui is on loan at Wolfsburg from Atlético, for whom he has made just one appearance.

• Kroos faced Wolfsburg 12 times during his time in Germany with Bayern (2007–09, 2010–14) and Leverkusen (2009–10) with the record W10 D1 L1.

• Daniel Carvajal spent 2012/13 on loan at Leverkusen, recording a draw and two losses against Wolfsburg.

• André Schürrle and Kroos each scored twice as Germany beat a Brazil side containing Marcelo and Luiz Gustavo 7-1 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-finals.

• Kroos scored Germany's winner in a November 2014 friendly against Spain, with Kiko Casilla and Sergio Ramos in the home team. Max Kruse also featured for Germany, with Robin Knoche an unused substitute.

• Play for same country:
Guilavogui & Raphaël Varane, Karim Benzema (France)
Schürrle, Draxler, Kruse, Maximilian Arnold, Sebastian Jung, Christian Träsch, Marcel Schäfer & Kroos (Germany)
Luiz Gustavo, Dante & Marcelo, Danilo, Casemiro (Brazil)
Vierinha & Ronaldo, Pepe (Portugal)

• Have played together
Kroos & Dante (Bayern, 2012–14)
Kroos & Luiz Gustavo (Bayern, 2011–13)

Match facts

Wolfsburg
• Daniel Caligiuri (groin) and Arnold (calf) picked up injuries in the 1-1 draw against SV Darmstadt 98 on 19 March, the latter missing Germany's UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers against the Faroe Islands and Russia as a result, though he returned on Friday in the 3-0 loss at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

• Naldo is expected to miss the rest of the campaign after sustaining a right shoulder injury against Bayern on 27 February.

• Jung suffered a knee injury in Ghent on 17 February and was ruled out for the remainder of the season.

• Diego Benaglio (rib) has not played since 6 February, but is now available for selection.

• On 12 January, Bas Dost fractured a metatarsal in his left foot during Wolfsburg's winter training camp in Portugal. Carlos Ascues sustained a meniscus injury a few days later and made his return on 24 March as Peru drew 2-2 with Venezuela in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.

• Paul Seguin (out since mid-February, ankle) made his comeback for Wolfsburg's reserves on 28 March. Four days earlier the club announced that Seguin had extended his contract until the summer of 2018.

Real Madrid
• Madrid have won six successive games in all competitions since losing 1-0 at home to Atlético on 27 February.

• Keylor Navas has kept eight clean sheets in as many appearances in the UEFA Champions League and sits behind only Jens Lehmann (853) in number of minutes played without conceding in the competition.

• Casemiro scored his first goal for Madrid in the 2-1 victory over UD Las Palmas on 13 March.