Wolfsburg withstood a late Arminia Bielefeld fightback as earlier goals from Wout Weghorst and Maximilian Arnold fired the 2008/09 Bundesliga champions to their first win of the season.

Wolfsburg 2-1 Arminia Bielefeld
Goals: 1-0 Weghorst (19'), 2-0 Arnold (20'), 2-1 Schipplock (80')

Wolfsburg had only scored four goals in their opening four matches, but matched that tally in the space of one first-half minute at the Volkswagen-Arena. Weghorst broke the deadlock following a set-piece straight off the training ground, the Dutchman controlling and firing home after Arnold fooled every man and his dog by passing under the Bielefeld wall instead of going for goal. The former Germany U21 international did land Wolfsburg's next effort, though. After combining with Admir Mehmedi, he made no mistake with a clinical finish past Stefan Ortega for 2-0. The home side saw captain Josuha Guilavogui come off injured after half an hour with a hamstring problem before debutant Maximilian Philipp threatened late in a one-sided first half, firing wide with the aid of a deflection and bringing a flying save from Ortega.

Ortega came up with the goods once again early in the second period with a pair of fine saves to keep out Weghorst and Renato Steffen, but almost undid his fine work with 15 minutes to go. Fumbling a routine cross, Bielefeld's last line of defence was indebted to Jacob Laursen for sweeping up before a green shirt could profit. The visitors hadn't registered a shot on goal when substitute Sven Schipplock buried a finish beyond Koen Casteels following a fine bit of play from Ritsu Doan. Arnold's misplaced pass gift-wrapped an opening to Uwe Neuhaus's side moments later, but Manuel Preitl's deflected strike came back off the post. Weghorst fired wide at the death as the Wolves claimed a welcome three points.

Match stats

• Wolfsburg ended a run of seven home matches without a win. Eight would have marked a dubious club record.
• Oliver Glasner's side scored their first home goals of the Bundesliga season, and conceded their first effort from open play.
• The Wolves took the lead in a Bundesliga match for the first time in 2020/21.
• Arnold has had a direct hand in two of the Wolves' four league goals this term.
• Schipplock made his 100th substitute appearance in the Bundesliga. He scored his 20th Bundesliga goal - his first since May 2017 - and 11th off the bench.
• Philipp made his first Bundesliga appearance since February 2019 with Borussia Dortmund

Watch: Arnold: "It was exciting until the end"

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Line-ups

Wolfsburg: Casteels (c) - Baku, Lacroix, Brooks, Roussillon - Guilavogui (c) (Schlager 31'), Arnold - Steffen (Gerhardt 84'), Mehmedi (Victor 67'), Philipp (Klaus 84') - Weghorst
Unused subs: Pervan, Malli, Bialek, Ginczek, Siersleben
Out: Brekalo (not included), Bruma (thigh), Mbabu (knee), Otavio (hamstring), Pongracic (glandular fever), William (knee)
Coach: Oliver Glasner

Bielefeld: Ortega - de Medina (Behrendt 46'), Pieper, Van der Hoorn (Edmundsson 87'), Laursen - Prietl, Maier (Seufert 46') - Doan, Hartl, Cordova (Schipplock 77') - Klos (c)
Unused subs: Linner, Nilsson, Yabo, Kunze, Lucoqui
Out: Brunner (knock), Soukou (muscular), Voglsammer (foot)
Coach: Uwe Neuhaus

About the clubs

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