Wout Weghorst and Joao Victor earn ten-man Wolfsburg the spoils in Frankfurt
Wout Weghorst and Joao Victor helped ten-man Wolfsburg become the first team to win at the Commerzbank-Arena this season, as Eintracht Frankfurt fell to a rare home defeat.
Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Wolfsburg
Goals: 0-1 Weghorst (19'), 0-2 Joao Victor (65')
Red card: Tisserand (45'+1)
Felix Wiedwald was back in the Frankfurt goal due to an illness for Frederik Rönnow, and he had to show his very best reaction skills early on to deny William, who had been put clean through on goal by Josuha Guilavogui. Wolfsburg continued to ask questions on the break and they took the lead when Weghorst expertly deflected Maximilian Arnold's shot past the forlorn Wiedwald. The fact that two of Frankfurt's few attempts on goal in the first half came from central defender Martin Hinteregger headers underlined how, despite bossing possession, the hosts struggled to find a way through the disciplined Wolfsburg ranks, with corners providing their most dangerous outlet. However, they will have entered the break buoyed by seeing Marcel Tisserand shown a second yellow card to reduce the guests to ten men for the second 45 minutes.
Even with only ten men – and Robin Knoche on for Admir Mehmedi to re-establish numbers in defence – Wolfsburg created the first big chance of the second half with Jeffrey Bruma's free-header palmed away by Wiedwald. A mistake by Wiedwald then gifted Joao Victor the chance to make it two, and the Brazilian accepted it to score his first Bundesliga goal and double the Wolves' lead. Highly effective, Oliver Glasner's men continued to look the more threatening, despite having ten men behind the ball for much of the time. Frankfurt's frustrations persisted and it became increasingly hard to see which side was playing with an extra man, given the guests' organisation. A few tame efforts on goal from Goncalo Paciencia and Danny Da Costa were all the hosts could muster as the Wolves held on to become the first Bundesliga club to beat Frankfurt at the Commerzbank-Arena this season.
Match stats
- Wolfsburg have won on each of their last four trips to Frankfurt, taking 12 points with an aggregate score of 7-1.
- Arnold marked his 200th Bundesliga game with an assist for Weghorst's opener.
- Weghorst had scored Wolfsburg's previous three Bundesliga goals before Joao Victor struck.
- Wolfsburg have won all five games this season in which they had taken a 1-0 lead.
- Frankfurt's Hütter and Wolfsburg's Glasner both cut their coaching chops at Red Bull Salzburg. The latter's time as assistant at RB Leipzig's sister club came to an end in 2014, when Hütter was appointed first-team coach.
Line-ups
Frankfurt: Wiedwald – Hinteregger, Hasebe (c), N'Dicka (da Costa 61') - Durm, Sow, Rode (Kamada 46'), Gacinovic (Silva 68'), Kostic - Paciencia, Dost
Unused subs: Zimmermann, Joveljic, Torro, Toure, Chandler, Kohr
Out: Abraham (suspended), Fernandes (suspended), Rönnow (unknown), Russ (Achilles tendon), Trapp (shoulder)
Coach: Adi Hütter
Wolfsburg: Casteels - Tisserand, Bruma, Brooks - William, Guilavogui (c), Arnold (Schlager 87'), Roussillon – Mehmedi (Knoche 46'), Victor (Steffen 77') - Weghorst
Unused subs: Pervan, Brekalo, Klaus, Mbabu, Nmecha, Rexhbecaj
Out: Camacho (ankle), Malli (back)
Coach: Oliver Glasner
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