Augsburg seal dramatic late comeback win at Wolfsburg
Elvis Rexhbecaj returned to haunt former club Wolfsburg as Augsburg came from behind to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory, with the midfielder scoring the winner in stoppage time.
Wolfsburg 2-3 AugsburgGoals: 1-0 Gerhardt 41’ (assist: Eriksen), 1-1 Ribeiro 59’ (assist: Claude-Maurice), 2-1 Shiogai 70’ (assist: Amoura), 2-2 Gregoritsch 87’ (pen), 2-3 Rexhbecaj 90’+3 (assist: Claude-Maurice)
Two sides with contrasting fortunes since the winter break met at the Volkswagen Arena as Wolfsburg hosted Augsburg. While the visitors had collected 10 points from their opening five matches of the second half of the season – matching the tallies of Bayern Munich, Stuttgart and Leverkusen – the Wolves had managed just two points in the same period.
Wolfsburg were without captain Maximilian Arnold, with Yannick Gerhardt deputising in midfield and wearing the armband. Augsburg handed a first start to winter arrival Rodrigo Ribeiro, while recent signing Uchenna Ogundu made the bench for the first time.
The match began tentatively with a tense atmosphere palpable both on the pitch and in the stands. Augsburg gradually grew into the game, taking control of possession and creating the first significant chance when Han-Noah Massengo's angled effort forced Kamil Grabara into a smart save.
Despite the visitors enjoying more of the ball, Wolfsburg remained dangerous on the counter. Lovro Majer missed a golden opportunity when he fired over after being teed up by Christian Eriksen. Against the run of play, the hosts took the lead in the 41st minute when Gerhardt met Eriksen's corner with a precise header at the near post, giving Finn Dahmen no chance.
Wolfsburg came out after the break looking to extend their advantage, pushing forward with purpose and forcing Augsburg onto the back foot. However, the visitors weathered the pressure and struck back in the 59th minute.
Alexis Claude-Maurice played a perfect through ball to Ribeiro, who confidently slotted past Grabara to bring Augsburg level on his full debut. Daniel Bauer responded immediately, bringing on Kento Shiogai and Kevin Paredes to inject fresh energy into his side.
The substitution paid immediate dividends for the Wolves. In the 71st minute, Mohamed Amoura broke down the right flank and delivered a clever cutback through a defender's legs to find Shiogai, who finished clinically to restore Wolfsburg's advantage just minutes after coming on.
The game opened up considerably, with both sides creating chances in an end-to-end spell. Just when Wolfsburg seemed set to claim victory, disaster struck for the hosts. Denis Vavro was penalised for handball in the 85th minute, and substitute Michael Gregoritsch stepped up to coolly convert the spot-kick and level the scores once more.
With seven minutes of stoppage time indicated, both teams pushed for a winner. It was Augsburg who found the decisive breakthrough in the 93rd minute when Claude-Maurice laid the ball off to Rexhbecaj on the edge of the area.
The former Wolfsburg midfielder struck a firm left-footed shot into the bottom corner past Grabara to complete Augsburg's remarkable comeback. The late winner sealed a third consecutive victory for Manuel Baum's side, extending their unbeaten run against the Wolves to nine matches and lifting them further away from the relegation zone.
Man of the Match: Rodrigo Ribeiro
The winter signing from Sporting Lisbon delivered a stellar performance on his full debut for Augsburg. Ribeiro not only scored the crucial equaliser with a composed finish but was a constant threat throughout the match.
His movement caused problems for the Wolfsburg defence all afternoon, and he showed impressive maturity and confidence for a young player in his first Bundesliga start.
The Portuguese forward finished the match with three shots, one goal, and an impressive 32.34 km/h top speed before being substituted in the 81st minute. His immediate impact at the club and game-winning display earned him the deserved Man of the Match accolade with 31 percent of the vote.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Wolfsburg 2.18 - Augsburg 2.23
Fastest player: Uchenna Ogundu (Augsburg), 35.07 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 2-3 by Elvis Rexhbecaj (Augsburg), 8.65 percent
Most pressed player: Alexis Claude-Maurice (Augsburg), 21 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Dimitrios Giannoulis (Augsburg), +5.3
Fantasy Heroes: Alexis Claude-Maurice (Augsburg, 315 Points), Yannick Gerhardt (Wolfsburg, 280 Points), Christian Eriksen (Wolfsburg, 261 Points)
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