Clinical Bayer Leverkusen heap more home misery on Wolfsburg
Bayer Leverkusen secured an impressive 3-1 away win at Wolfsburg to move up to provisional second place in the standings as first-half goals from Jonas Hofmann, Edmond Tapsoba and Malik Tillman left the Wolves licking their wounds on home soil once more.
Wolfsburg 1-3 Bayer Leverkusen
Goals: 0-1 Hofmann 9’ (assist: Grimaldo), 0-2 Tapsoba 24’ (assist: Garcia), 0-3 Tillman 33’ (assist: Schick), 1-3 Vavro 57’ (assist: Arnold)
Wolfsburg into this match desperate to turn around their worst start to a Bundesliga season in over a decade. Having just parted ways with coach Paul Simonis, facing a confident Leverkusen who scored six in their last game was always going to provide the hosts witth a stern challenge.
Deadly Bayer punish wasteful hosts
And so it proved. The Werkself struck first as early as the ninth minute when Ernest Poku combined well with Alejandro Grimaldo down the left flank. The Spaniard cut back for Tillman, who failed to make contact. Hofmann did, however, meeting the cut-back with a fine side-footed finish to the corner.
Wolfsburg responded well as Dženan Pejčinović and Lovro Majer both tested the excellent Mark Flekken, but Leverkusen's ruthless opening continued. In the 24th minute, Aleix García delivered a pinpoint cross that Tapsoba headed home to double the visitors' lead.
Kasper Hjulmand's men then made it 3-0 in the 33rd minute when Patrik Schick cleverly set up Tillman, who finished coolly. Flekken subsequently denied Majer when clean through to preserve Bayer's lead going into the break.
Wolfsburg rally, Leverkusen stand firm
The hosts emerged from the break with renewed purpose, as Konstantinos Koulierakis and Dženan Pejčinović both forced saves from Flekken within minutes of the restart.
Their pressure paid dividends in the 57th minute when Maximilian Arnold's corner was headed in by Denis Vavro to reduce the deficit.
The Wolves thought they had a second just moments later when Jonas Wind, freshly introduced along with Christian Eriksen and Mattias Svanberg, converted from a Majer assist, but VAR ruled it out for offside.
Poku then should have restored Leverkusen's three-goal advantage but blazed over when well placed. As Wolfsburg continued to push forward, Flekken made crucial saves from Arnold, Vavro and Wind to preserve the away side's lead and secure the three points.
Man of the Match: Edmond Tapsoba
While Flekken's heroics in goal were vital, it was Tapsoba who truly shone at both ends of the pitch. The Burkina Faso international not only scored the crucial second goal with a well-placed header, but was also imperious defensively throughout.
He won nine challenges – joint-highest in the match – and was instrumental in Leverkusen's disciplined second-half display as they absorbed Wolfsburg's pressure. His composure on the ball helped maintain Bayer's impressive 89 per cent passing accuracy, allowing them to control the tempo even when under pressure.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Wolfsburg 2.83 - Leverkusen 1
Fastest player: Poku (Bayer), 35.31 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 0-2 by Tapsoba (Bayer), 11 per cent
Most pressed player: Grimaldo (Bayer), 13 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Grimaldo (Bayer), +2.49
Fantasy Heroes: Flekken (Bayer, 388 Points), García (Bayer , 289 Points), Tapsoba (Bayer, 283 Points)
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