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Highlights

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Full-time: Wolfsburg 1-2 Leverkusen

Die Werkself triumph for the seventh time in eight Bundesliga games this season to return to the top of the table. Jeremie Frimpong gave his side the lead inside the opening 15 minutes at the Volkswagen Arena, but Maxence Lacroix struck shortly before half-time to restore parity. There was only one goal after the break, but Alejandro Grimaldo's effort was all the visitors needed to leave with all three points.
Full-time
90'
+ 4

Hrádecký the hero

Majer has two huge chances to score a late equaliser, but the Leverkusen captain stands firm to deny him on both occasions.
90'

Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 90 minutes

information
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 90 minutes
Through high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. Top speed then means, the fastest measured single frame of a player/game.
87'

Wolfsburg had more shots

Leverkusen may be in front, but Wolfsburg have tried their luck more frequently.
Goal attempts
11off target
5on target
6off target
6on target
86'

Under five minutes to go

Time is running out for Wolfsburg to snatch a point.
82'

Hrádecký denies Paredes

The young American's shot is straight at the Finland international - a warning side for the visitors.
78'

Frimpong almost scores again

The 22-year-old gets his toe to a through ball, but Pervan does well to direct the ball out for a corner.
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Grimaldo delight

Will that strike from the left-back be the winner?
74'

Majer tries his luck

The Croatian strikes the ball sweetly, but he is unable to find the target.
69'

Svanberg curls wide

The midfielder's free-kick is never troubling Hrádecký between the Leverkusen sticks.
63'

Grimaldo puts Leverkusen back in front

Leverkusen are back ahead! Frimpong does fantastically down the right flank to get to the byline and play a ball across the box and, although Arnold gets a touch to Grimaldo's low drive, it is not enough to stop it from flying into the net!
Goal probability
information
Goal probability
Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models.
8 %
Shot speed
information
Shot speed
Shot speed describes the maximum speed in km/h that a ball reaches in a shot on goal. The distance is measured from the location of the shot to the centre of the goal.
82.06 km/h
Distance to Goal
information
Distance to Goal
The distance to goal is measured at the time of the shot - from the position of the ball to the center of the goal.
16.31 m
61'

Boniface misses the target

The striker is a constant threat, but he will probably be disappointed not to hit the target as he fires over the bar with his left foot.
58'

Wirtz preparing to enter the fray

Alonso's turns to his star Germany international as he looks to restore his side's advantage.
52'

Wind fires over

The Dane hasn't quite found his range today, and this shot goes well over the bar from outside the area.
50'

Pressure Handling

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Pressure Handling
This Match Fact examines how successfully players perform under pressure. The percentage of "solved situations" indicates how often a player has freed himself from opponent pressure by dribbling, passing, scoring a goal or drawing a foul.
82%
%
Granit Xhaka
11 times under pressure
Granit Xhaka
46'

Back underway

The second half has started.
Kick-off!
45'
+ 3

Substitution

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Half-time: Wolfsburg 1-1 Leverkusen

It's all square in Wolfsburg at the interval. Jeremie Frimpong's opener gave the visitors the advantage but, as the break approached, Maxence Lacroix fired home from close range to set up an intriguing second 45 minutes.
Half-time
44'

Frimpong finds the side netting

The full-back looks to add a second for himself and his team, but can only fire wide as he loses his balance.
42'

Lacroix levels

An Arnold corner is only half-cleared by Leverkusen and, after bouncing around the box following Svanberg's shot, the ball falls to the centre-back. From close range, the Frenchman buries for his first goal of the season.
41'
Maxence Lacroix
Goal probability
information
Goal probability
Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models.
31 %
Shot speed
information
Shot speed
Shot speed describes the maximum speed in km/h that a ball reaches in a shot on goal. The distance is measured from the location of the shot to the centre of the goal.
95.67 km/h
Distance to Goal
information
Distance to Goal
The distance to goal is measured at the time of the shot - from the position of the ball to the center of the goal.
10.16 m
39'

Hrádecký saves

An Tomás effort from distance is heading towards the bottom corner, albeit without too much pace on it, but Hrádecký gets down and clutches it to his chest.
37'

Wolfsburg ahead on xG

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xGoals
The xGoals value of a club is calculated from the sum of all goal probabilities (goals and shots on goal) of that team. During a match, it’s easy to see whether the club is performing better than expected (goals > xGoals) - or maybe even higher (xGoals > goals).
Leverkusen may be in front, but Wolfsburg have had slightly better opportunities, at least according to xG.
xGoals
0
0.46
0.37
1
Goals
31'

Boniface goes close

The Nigerian steers his effort just beyond Pervan's left-hand post.
30'

Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutes

information
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutes
Through high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. Top speed then means, the fastest measured single frame of a player/game.
28'

Adli tries his luck

The winger cuts in from the left and shoots at goal, but his effort flies straight into the hands of Pervan.
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Frimpong strikes

The right-back's goal separates the two sides.
18'

Baku fires wide

The home side have responded well to going behind, as Baku hammers an effort wide of the post from an angle.
16'

Tomás denied

A chance straight down the other end for Tomás, but Hrádecký does well to get down and keep out the forward's attempt from close range.
13'

Leverkusen go in front!

Die Werkself take the lead through Frimpong! Boniface is the architect, holding the ball up following a quick counterattack and playing a delightful ball to the back post for the Dutchman to volley home. Pervan does his best to keep it out, but the ball was well over the line by the time he gets to it.
13'
Jeremie Frimpong
Goal probability
information
Goal probability
Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models.
24 %
Distance to Goal
information
Distance to Goal
The distance to goal is measured at the time of the shot - from the position of the ball to the center of the goal.
5.74 m
9'

Tah heads at Pervan

An early test for Pervan, in for the injured Casteels, but he holds Tah's header from Grimaldo's corner with ease.
8'

Leverkusen probing

No clear opening for the visitors yet, but they are dominating possession, pushing Wolfsburg back into their own half.
2'

Arnold goes close

Hrádecký's mishit kick find Arnold in across space, albeit a long way from goal, but the Wolfsburg captain fires his volley narrowly wide of the post.
1'

Here we go!

We're up and running here at the Volkswagen Arena!
Kick-off!

10 minutes to go

Not long before we get underway here!
0:05
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Watch: Welcome to the Volkswagen Arena

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Wolfsburg team news

Niko Kovač, meanwhile, makes three changes to the team that succumbed to Stuttgart. Pavao Pervan comes in for Koen Casteels, who has an abdominal injury, and Sebastiaan Bornauw makes way for Cédric Zesinger. There is also a mix-up in formation, as centre-back Moritz Jenz replaces midfielder Lovro Majer.
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Leverkusen team news

Xabi Alonso rarely changes his starting XI, but two fresh faces come into the side from the 3-0 victory over Cologne before the international break. Odilon Kossounou is replaced by Josip Stanišić, while Florian Wirtz makes way for Amine Adli.

Wolfsburg XI

Pervan - Jenz, Lacroix, Bornauw - Baku, Svanberg, Arnold (c), Maehle - Gerhardt, Tomás - Wind

Wolfsburg subs

Schulze, Zesiger, Cozza, Sarr, Kamiński, Pejčinović, Majer, Wimmer, Paredes

Leverkusen XI

Hrádecký (c) - Stanišić, Tah, Tapsoba - Frimpong, Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo - Hofmann, Adli - Boniface

Leverkusen subs

Kovář, Hincapié, Kossounou, Andrich, Wirtz, Amiri, Schick, Tella, Hložek

Wolfsburg perfect at home

Die Wölfe have been close to faultless at the Volkswagen Arena this season. They have won all three games, scoring six and conceding just one along the way. They have started with three successive wins on home soil for just the fourth time - they have never prevailed four times in a row at the start of the campaign.
2:08
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Watch: Hofmann's goals and assists in 2023/24

It is not just Boniface who has been on top form this campaign - Jonas Hofmann has also impressed, scoring four and creating a further three. You can see all of those goal contributions here.

Battle of the goal-getters

This game pits two of the Bundesliga's most prolific goalscorers this season against each other. Jonas Wind has scored seven goals of his side's 10 Bundesliga strikes this term, finding the back of the net in all three home fixtures. He will be trying to outdo Victor Boniface, who has hit the ground running since his summer move. He too has struck on seven occasions, firing his team to the top of the table in the process.

Head-to-head

Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last three games against Wolfsburg, although the last two meetings have ended in draws. The Volkswagen Arena is a happy hunting ground for Die Werkself, with them winning on five of their last seven visits, drawing the other two. Wolfsburg's last win against Bayer came in October 2021, a 2-1 triumph at the BayArena.
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Kovač's view on Leverkusen

"We need players on the pitch capable of keeping the force that is Leverkusen at bay. It won't be easy. Other teams have found out already this season how tough it is to completely shut them out for 90 minutes. We need to defend well from the front and right through the team to the goalkeeper. We're facing, right now, the strongest team in the Bundesliga."
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Alonso's view on Wolfsburg

"They're a strong team who have a super coach in Niko Kovać. They brought in lots of new signings in the summer with high quality and the right mentality. It'll be a big challenge. We're currently benefitting from our pre-season when we played a lot of games. It means we have a certain consistency in every game and have been able to implement everything we want immediately. There will therefore be no excuses tomorrow."

Joint message for peace

The DFL has recommended a minute's silence in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 to remember all innocent victims and their relatives after the devastating events in the Middle East. With this joint effort, the DFL and DFB would like to send a common message from German football for peace. Football is a sport that brings people together, which is why we all stand up for peaceful coexistence, respect and tolerance. A fortnight ago, the terrorist attack by Hamas on the people of Israel and the State of Israel began. The DFL is shocked by this terrible attack and the events in the region.
3:54
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Watch: Xhaka under the tactical microscope

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Probable line-ups

Who’s set to play this weekend? Who’s going to miss out? Keep up to date with all the latest team news right here!
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Bundesliga x NFL: Win Dolphins-Chiefs tickets and a legends meet & greet in Frankfurt

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Leverkusen looking to rewrite history

League-leaders Leverkusen are travelling to Wolfsburg at the summit of the Bundesliga for the fourth time - on the previous three occasions, they came out second best (1999, 2001 and 2014)!
2:03
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Watch: Wolfsburg 0-0 Leverkusen - previous meeting

The spoils were shared last season, leaving Wolfsburg winless at home to Leverkusen since 31 October 2015 (D1, L5).
1:59
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Watch: Stuttgart 3-1 Wolfsburg - highlights

Wolfsburg were undone by a Serhou Guirassy hat-trick on Matchday 7. It marked their third defeat of the season, all of which have come against teams currently placed fifth or higher. For their part, the Wolves sit seventh, on 12 points from a possible 21.
2:03
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Watch: Leverkusen 3-0 Cologne - highlights

Leverkusen's sixth league win of the season wrestled back top spot from VfB Stuttgart, who had beaten Wolfsburg 3-1 24 hours earlier. Jonas Hofmann starred for Xabi Alonso's league leaders, with Jeremie Frimpong and Victor Boniface also on target.

Hello and welcome!

Thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of this Matchday 8 fixture between Wolfsburg and Leverkusen.