Olic at the double for Wolves in Hoffenheim win
Wolfsburg - Ivica Olic's first brace since March fired VfL Wolfsburg past a limp 1899 Hoffenheim side 2-1.
Olic leads the charge
Excitement is guaranteed in encounters involving Hoffenheim and it was no different during the opening exchanges against Wolfsburg. The Wolves strived to apply their influence early, with Ivica Olic, Diego and Vieirinha all looking bright, yet it Anthony Modeste who capitalised on a mistake in midfield to open the scoring for the visitors after rounding Diego Benaglio on the quarter-hour.
However, there was cause for concern, as Wolfsburg’s Portuguese winger Vierinha regularly got the better of left-back Robin Szarka, a weakness Christian Träsch capitalised upon in the 43rd minute, crossing for Ivica Olic to mark his best goal-scoring start to a Bundesliga season with a volleyed equaliser.
The Croatian came to the fore again three minutes into the second half, this time providing a delicate finish by dinking a bouncing ball over Koen Casteels, who found himself caught in no-man’s-land. The goal completed Olic’s first brace since March, as he and Diego regularly combined throughout the second period to ensure their side’s advantage wasn’t squandered, pressing high up the field and allowing Wolfsburg to impose their style of play.
Despite Modeste and Kevin Volland’s best efforts though, Hoffenheim failed to muster up enough to trouble Wolfsburg’s defence, marshaled superbly by Robin Knoche, as the hosts preserved their unblemished home record in the current campaign.
Line-ups and statistics
