Max Kruse and Dodi Lukebakio fire Wolfsburg past Eintracht Frankfurt
Max Kruse and Dodi Lukebakio proved to be the difference between the sides as Wolfsburg picked up a 2-0 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt - winning back-to-back games for the first time since November.
Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Wolfsburg
Goals: 0-1 Kruse 28' (pen.), 0-2 Lukebakio (90'+3)
Both teams lined up with matching 3-4-3 formations, with the early ascendancy boiling down to who won their personal head-to-head battles. Frankfurt looked stronger initially, with Kristijan Jakic volleying a Christopher Lenz corner narrowly off target. Wolfsburg started to settle, though, and Maxence Lacroix tried to find the top corner at the other end only to see his attempt fly high and wide. Kruse then put the visitors in front, converting a penalty he had earned from a Martin Hinteregger foul to score the first goal of his second spell with the Wolves, and his 10th overall. Frankfurt finished the half strongly and were only a Koen Casteela save away from going into the break level, with Jesper Lindstrom's shot stopped at the near post.
Lindstrom looked lively after the restart, repeatedly sneaking in behind Jerome Roussillon on Wolfsburg's left flank, but a pair of low crosses before the hour was out ultimately came to nothing. Jonas Wind them came close to opening his Wolfsburg account, but his flying header from a Kruse cross was off target. Frankfurt head coach Oliver Glasner rang the changes for the final 20 minutes, sending Goncalo Paciencia and Ansgar Knauff into the fray, and they looked lively without providing any end product. Lukebakio showed them how it was done late on with a fine finish from a tight angle, and it ended 2-0.
Match stats
- Kruse has now scored in his last four matches against Frankfurt. He struck five times in three games against them for Union Berlin, but never finished on the winning side (D1, L2).
- The Wolves have won five of their six last away games against Eintracht in the Bundesliga. Their 10 wins in Frankfurt is the most they have on the road against any current top-flight team.
- Wolfsburg won back-to-back games under Florian Kohfeldt for the first time since the former Werder Bremen man took charge in November.
- The Eagles have more away wins (five) than home victories (three) in the current campaign, also losing their last three at Deutsche Bank Park.
- Frankfurt had 14 goal attempts to Wolfsburg's seven, but only two were on target.
- Die Adler fall into the bottom half of the table on 31 points. Wolfsburg are now just four points away in 12th.
Watch: Kruse on Wolfsburg's "very important" win
Line-ups
Frankfurt: Trapp – Tuta, Hinteregger (c), N'Dicka – Da Costa (Knauf 70'), Sow, Jakic (Hrustic 85'), Lenz (Kostic 62') – Kamada (Hauge 85'), Lindstrom – Borre (Paciencia 70')
Unused subs: Grahl, Ilsanker, Rode, Chandler
Out: Ache (muscular), Hasebe (ribs), Ramaj (knee)
Coach: Oliver Glasner
Wolfsburg: Casteels (c) - Lacroix, Bornauw, Brooks – Baku, Vranckx (Gerhardt 62'), Arnold, Rousillon (Steffen 72') – Philipp (Lukebakio 62'), Kruse – Wind (Bialek 90')
Unused subs: Pervan, Waldschmidt, Mbabu, F. Nmecha, Paredes
Out: L. Nmecha (ankle), Otavio (knee), Schlager (knee), Van de Ven (thigh), William (knee)
Coach: Florian Kohfeldt
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