Anthony Modeste marked his return to the Hoffenheim starting XI for the first time since November with two goals and an assist in a 6-2 win over Wolfsburg
Anthony Modeste marked his return to the Hoffenheim starting XI for the first time since November with two goals and an assist in a 6-2 win over Wolfsburg

Hoffenheim hit Wolfsburg for six

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Sinsheim - 1899 Hoffenheim moved ten points clear of the relegation zone thanks to an emphatic 6-2 win over VfL Wolfsburg at the Wirsol Rhein-Neckar Arena on Sunday.

Hoffenheim on fire

Anthony Modeste bagged an inspired brace and was in good company as Roberto Firmino, Sejad Salihovic, Niklas Süle and Sven Schipplock all got on the scoresheet. Bas Dost and Ivan Perisic grabbed consolations for the tame Wolves, who were reduced to ten men as they missed out on the chance to go fourth.

Revenge for a 3-2 defeat in the DFB Cup was one of the many reasons behind Hoffenheim's obvious motivation, and it did not take them long to translate that into an opening goal. Modeste, making his first start since November, delivered a cross from the left which Firmino looped over Diego Benaglio.

Wolfsburg hit back with their first attack of the game, Ivan Perisic providing the delivery for Dost to head in a fourth goal in his last seven Bundesliga games. Surprised but undeterred, Hoffenheim sought to regain the advantage, with Sejad Salihovic curling in a perilous free-kick which Benaglio stretched to tip over.

Modeste show


The hosts' second soon arrived via the head of Süle, who nodded in his third goal of the season from Salihovic's free-kick. Two minutes later, Modeste was given too much room on the edge of the area as he picked up Sebastian Rudy's dinked pass before firing in off the left-hand post for number three.

Salihovic's set-pieces were proving a real menace and Wolfsburg, in failing to clear their lines from the Bosnian's cross, allowed Modeste to tuck home his second and Hoffenheim's fifth. The Frenchman subsequently had a goal disallowed for offside before leaving the field to a standing ovation.

Six-pack


Brief hopes of a Wolfsburg comeback were ignited when Perisic converted Kevin De Bruyne's cross at the other end, but they were soon quashed when Volland was sent tumbling in the area by Christian Träsch, who was shown a red card for the challenge.

By now it was Salihovic's turn to add his name to the scoresheet from the spot and restore Hoffenheim's three-goal cushion. However, the Bosnian soon returned to creative duties, sending Schipplock through to stroke the ball past a forlorn Benaglio and complete a miserable day for the visitors.

Line-ups and statistics

Ben Gladwell