As of: March 10, 2024 10:18 p.m
VfL Wolfsburg has extended its negative streak to ten Bundesliga games without a win. Lower Saxony lost 0-2 (0-1) to league leaders Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday evening and played outnumbered for a long time.
While Wolfsburg will probably end its disappointing season in no man’s land in the table, the question now seriously arises when looking at Bayer Leverkusen: Can coach Xabi Alonso’s team actually become the first team in Bundesliga history to become undefeated champions?
Further information
Results, table standings and match days at a glance. more
The Werkself have achieved 21 wins and only four draws in 25 games – resulting in 67 points, 42 (!) more than Wolfsburg got.
“Against Leverkusen it’s difficult with eleven men, with ten it’s damn difficult.”
VfL-Trainer Niko Kovac
“The game was over after 30 minutes and the red card,” said VfL coach Niko Kovac to NDR. “We make too many individual mistakes. And mistakes lead to goals, goals to defeats. Those who make fewer mistakes usually win the games.”
Schindzielorz: “We want to solve this together”
“We saw today that the team stood together and defended itself against an absolute top opponent with one man less,” said VfL sports director Sebastian Schindzielorz, who “did not want to get back into a possible coaching debate”. “We want to solve this together,” said Schindzielorz.
VIDEO: Wolfsburg coach Kovac: “Making too many individual mistakes” (3 min)
Kovac is also “very relaxed” on the subject. “I know that we are working well and that I have the trust of Marcel Schäfer and Sebastian Schindzielorz.”
Wolfsburg did well for 30 minutes
It was no surprise that Leverkusen controlled the ball in the duel between the unlikely factory clubs and pushed Wolfsburg into their own half. But the guests had the first opportunity: Lovro Majer, in a good shooting position, did not decide to shoot, but instead passed it across to Jonas Wind, who lost the ball (12th).
Further information
Our data analysis shows what makes the Rhinelanders so strong this season. more
In any case, the guests looked quite dangerous on their rare trips to the Leverkusen goal. The main task for Wolfsburg was to do hard defensive work against the league leaders’ passing and pressing machine. However, Bayer only had one big chance in the first half hour. Florian Wirtz hit the post (22nd).
Yellow-red for Jenz – goal by Tella
Things didn’t go badly for VfL, but they then decisively weakened themselves: Moritz Jenz was shown a yellow-red card after his second overly hard attack (28′). “After that it’s a different game and if we’re honest there wasn’t much in it,” said VfL captain Maximilian Arnold afterwards.
And it only took eight minutes before the league leaders took advantage of their advantage. Alex Grimaldo beat Sebastiaan Bornauw in a fantastic way, crossing with centimeter precision into the middle, where Nathan Tella headed in from four meters, completely unchallenged.
“Wolves” just run after them
The balance of power shifted even further towards Leverkusen, who were in possession of the ball almost continuously. VfL could only hope to somehow stay in the game and perhaps score a “lucky punch”.
Only: In order to score a lucky goal, the guests would have had to at least get in front of the Bayer goal again. But Leverkusen didn’t allow any more counterattacks and played the game down confidently without shining. The league leaders contented themselves with letting the ball run around the penalty area; shots were almost only made from distance.
Wirtz shows his class
But Bayer still had one brilliant moment up its sleeve: Wirtz scored a technically sophisticated volley after a long diagonal pass to make it 2-0 (86′).
Matchday 25, March 10, 2024 7:30 p.m
B. Leverkusen
2
VfL Wolfsburg
0
Tore:
B. Leverkusen:
Hradecky – Stanisic, Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie (59. Adli) – Palacios (90. Andrich), Xhaka – Tella (76. Jo. Hofmann), Wirtz (90. Hlozek), Grimaldo – Schick (76. Churches)
VfL Wolfsburg:
Casteels – Lacroix, Jenz, Zesiger (87. Wimmer) – Baku, Gerhardt (87. K. Behrens), Arnold, Paredes – Majer (63. Vranckx), Tomás (63. A. Sarr) – Wind (32. Bornauw)
Viewers:
29314
More information about the game
This topic in the program:
sports club | 10.03.2024 | 10:50 p.m