As of: February 4, 2024 7:28 p.m
Bundesliga soccer team VfL Wolfsburg drew 2-2 (0-1) with TSG Hoffenheim on Sunday. Despite the largely uninspired draw, sports director Marcel Schäfer subsequently confirmed in an ARD interview that Niko Kovac would remain VfL’s coach.
After the game, the ex-professional answered the question of whether Kovac would continue to work as coach of the “Wolves” with an unequivocal “Yes. The team has shown that it is alive, that it is willing to implement things. That not everything succeeds “We saw that too. But we are willing to tackle it together and improve it together,” said Schäfer. “He will be on the training pitch tomorrow and we will prepare as best we can for Union to get three points there.” The goal is to end the season with the current coach.
VIDEO: Schäfer: Kovac remains coach of VfL Wolfsburg (2 min)
Record purchaser Lovro Majer had previously saved Lower Saxony a point in the second half with two goals (58th, 70th/foul penalty). The “Wolves” have now been without a win for five games, have only taken two three-pointers from the last 14 games and are still in 11th place in the table.
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Eight points behind sixth place
After their fourth draw in a row, VfL is still a long way from their goal of playing in Europe next season. With now 23 points, the team is eight points behind Eintracht Frankfurt, currently sixth in the table.
Double goalscorer Majer still rated the game as a “step forward” compared to the three previous draws. The team “performed much more as a team,” said the Croatian.
His coach analyzed that “we invested everything over 90 minutes for unfortunately only one point.” Kovac complimented his team on coming back from being behind twice. “With a bit of luck we could have won the game.”
AUDIO: Wolfsburg’s coach Kovac: “A lot of effort, too little return” (3 min)
Shepherd angry about rumors
Before the meeting, the 52-year-old said that resignation was out of the question for him. Nevertheless, in the past few days there has been speculation around the club about possible successors such as Stefan Kuntz, Ralph Hasenhüttl, Steffen Baumgart or St. Pauli’s Fabian Hürzeler. Schäfer doesn’t appreciate that at all.
“I have a lot of understanding for criticism. If you fall short of expectations, then the wind blows a little rougher. I can live with that. But when such rumors arise that have no basis whatsoever, then that is a great disrespect for the protagonists opposite,” complained the 39-year-old.
Beier duped Bournauw
In any case, against Hoffenheim, Kovac sat on the bench and had to watch as his team was showered with cold water: Umut Tohumcu sent Maximilian Beier with a fine pass to the left side. The 21-year-old ran towards VfL defender Sebastiaan Bornauw, made the Belgian look pretty old with a simple wobble and humorlessly hit the near corner with his left (6th).
The Lower Saxony team had a hard time, but got better in the middle of the first half and came close to equalizing several times: first VfL top scorer Jonas Wind failed at the post (19th) and then at TSG goalkeeper Oliver Baumann (23rd), before deadline day -Transfer Kevin Behrens appeared. But Baumann thwarted his debut in the 26th minute.
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Majer scores twice to equalize
VfL tried hard, but their actions were mostly uninspired. The Kraichgauers had a more mature playing system, calmed the game down again with long ball relays and went into the break with a deserved lead.
This basic picture initially changed little at the beginning of the second section. But then events came to a head: First Majer, who had just been substituted, scored with a wonderful curling shot after Behrens had put the ball away (58′). Just eight minutes later, however, the “Wolves” were behind for the second time. TSG won the ball after an imprecise pass from VfL goalkeeper Koen Casteels, and Grischa Prömel scored (66′).
The Wolfsburg team showed resistance and equalized a second time: Stanley Nsoki pushed Majer, who confidently converted the penalty (70th). But it wasn’t enough for VfL, who at least showed character.
20th matchday, February 4th, 2024 3:30 p.m
VfL Wolfsburg
2
Hoffenheim
2
Tore:
- 2:2
Majer (70th, penalty kick)
VfL Wolfsburg:
Casteels – Maehle (55. Baku), Bornauw, Jenz, Rogério – Vranckx (56. Majer), Arnold, Cerny (46. Svanberg), Paredes – K. Behrens (84. Pejcinovic), Wind
Hoffenheim:
O. Baumann – Kaderabek, Kabak, Brooks, Nsoki – Stach, Prömel, Tohumcu (65. Forest), Beier (90.+2 Bülter) – Weghorst (65. Bebou), Kramaric (86. Conte)
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Sports current | 02/04/2024 | 6:17 p.m