Andre Schürrle (2nd l.) returned to Wolfsburg's starting XI, but the World Cup winner was unable to find the net in the visit to Augsburg. - © © gettyimages / Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts
Andre Schürrle (2nd l.) returned to Wolfsburg's starting XI, but the World Cup winner was unable to find the net in the visit to Augsburg. - © © gettyimages / Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts

Wolfsburg held by Augsburg

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VfL Wolfsburg were held to a frustrating goalless draw away to FC Augsburg on Matchday 14.

FC Augsburg 0-0 VfL Wolfsburg

Aiming to build on two consecutive wins in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League, Wolfsburg enjoyed the more promising opening period at the WWK Arena, dominating possession and territory. Wolves midfield dynamo Maximilian Arnold issued a first serious warning half an hour into the encounter, but otherwise chances proved difficult to come by at both ends. Augsburg skipper Paul Verhaegh should have broken the deadlock minutes before the break, however, only to miss with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Wolfsburg remained the more threatening side after the interval, with Andre Schürrle, back in the first XI after sitting out the previous two games, looking particularly threatening. He fired just wide on two occasions as the visitors came closest to snatching a late winner. Home keeper Marwin Hitz did well to keep Naldo’s stunning 30-yard free-kick out, though, thereby rescuing a draw against a Wolfsburg side down to ten men after Dante saw a second yellow card late on.

Man of the match

Despite not finding the net, Schürrle was extremely lively for Wolfsburg. The 2014 World Cup hero was the source of most the visitors’ promising moves as he built on his match-winning performance in Wednesday's win at CSKA Moskva.

Talking point

The Wolves remain in third place on 25 points but cannot afford many more slip-ups given the fierce competition for European places. 1. FC Köln, for example, are down in tenth in the standings but have only five points fewer than Wolfsburg.

Match stats

    It was the first time this season that Augsburg boss Markus Weinzierl fielded a first XI unchanged from the previous game in the Bundesliga.In Marwin Hitz, Ja-Cheol Koo, Daniel Baier, Caiuby and Daniel Esswein, Weinzierl started as many as five former Wolfsburg players.

Line-ups

Augsburg: Hitz - Verhaegh, Callsen-Bracker, Klavan, Max - Baier - Esswein (Trochowski 90'), Kohr (Moravek 86'), Koo (Ji 75'), Caiuby - Bobadilla

Wolfsburg: Benaglio - Träsch, Naldo, Dante, Schäfer - Arnold, Guilavogui - Vieirinha (Jung 88'), Schürrle - Kruse (Klose 87')- Dost (Caligiuri 64')