Champions League Matchday 6 Matchday 6 Volkswagen Arena
90'
+ 4
LILLE WIN
The full-time whistle goes, calling an end to Wolfsburg's European run. They put up a real fight and had their chances but Lille were clinical and advance as Group G winners.
Wolfsburg have suddenly upped the intensity, with Mbabu and Otavio raiding their respective flanks and bombarding balls into the box. It looks the home side's best route to goal.
60'
ONE HOUR GONE
With just 30 minutes to play, Wolfsburg need at least two goals to stay in the competition.
57'
LILLE ON TOP
This has been a near perfect start to the second period from a Lille perspective. They have been proactive and been making all the running. Wolfsburg need a change of momentum, and fast.
54'
SUPER SAVE
Casteels has just kept his side in the game, and possibly Europe if they can turn this game on its head from here. The Wolfsburg skipper tips over Ikone's looping effort that looked to be deflecting over the Wolfsburg 'keeper and into the net. Excellent save.
53'
THE LAY OF THE LAND
It's worth a reminder that, as it stands, Wolfsburg are headed OUT of Europe. Victory will see them through to the knockouts of the Champions League but anything else will mean it's curtains for their European campaign due to Sevilla's better head-to-head record over the Wolves. Currently, Lille will go through in top spot, Red Bull Salzburg - who are drawing 0-0 with Sevilla - will finish second in Group G and Sevilla will drop into the Europa League.
49'
ANDRE TAKES A BUMP
Lille's central midfielder Andre lands heavily after challenging for a header in the middle of the pitch but should be fine to continue. The ball is ping pong-ing between the two teams currently.
47'
LUKEBAKIO ON
One change at half-time as Kohfeldt calls for Lukebakio in place of Gerhardt as Wolfsburg go in search of the win that would keep their European hopes alive.
The whistle goes for half-time, with Lille currently bound for top spot and Wolfsburg headed for the exit. Yilmaz's ruthless counter-attacking opener is enough to give Lille the lead but the hosts have gone close and it looks a matter of time before Weghorst heads them level. They'll certainly hope that's the case.
42'
OFF THE LINE!
Weghorst goes close for a third time with yet another header. This time, he flicks Arnold's corner towards the far corner and it looks to be settling into the back of the net until Celik clears off the line. So close!
40'
FIVE TO GO
The half-time whistle is approaching as Wolfsburg to continue to huff and puff at the Lille door.
38'
CAN WOLFSBURG FIND A BREAKTHROUGH?
Wolfsburg continue to have the bulk of possession but struggle to break down a well organised Lille defence. An equaliser before half-time would be perfect.
34'
YILMAZ HAS A GO...
The goalscorer fires a free-kick at the Wolfsburg goal but it's comfortably collected by Casteels. Not long until half-time now.
28'
GOOD CHANCE GOES BEGGING
Moments after typing that Wolfsburg haven't had a shot on goal, Weghorst manages to do so and should have his team level. Arnold's inswinging free-kick from the right flank finds the Dutchman just 10 yards from goal but his header is straight at the 'keeper. You expect him to do better from there.
27'
ONE SHOT, ONE GOAL
Lille scored with their only shot on goal, showing just how clinical that opener was. Wolfsburg, meanwhile, have had two efforts but neither has found the target. They're very much being held at arm's length at the minute.
24'
OTAVIO ON THE MOVE
Wolfsburg needed an injection of energy and Otavio provides it with a blistering run down the left but his cross can't quite find the head of Weghorst. Much better intent from the Wolves.
20'
GETTING SCRAPPY
The game has started to break down a little with a series of niggling fouls in the middle of the pitch. Lille will be very happy to stop any Wolfsburg rhythm but the home team will be frustrated at losing said momentum. The ball isn't quite sticking for them at the minute, though.
That goal really is a tough one to swallow for Wolfsburg. They've had all the ball so far but were brutally exposed. Kohfeldt will be fuming to have conceded as a result of a corner at the other end of the pitch and it's a long way back for his team now. Plenty of time left, though.
12'
THE PERFECT COUNTER
An absolutely stunning counter attack from Lille has the away side in front and Wolfsburg's European hopes hanging by a thread. Breaking from a Wolfsburg corner, Ikone's lighting run sees him eat up nearly the entire pitch before squaring to Yilmaz whose left footed strike arrows into the net. Devastating.
There's a cracking battle already unfolding on the Wolfsburg right, with Mbabu up against the equally-lively Reinildo on Lille's left. Should be a fun one to keep an eye on.
3'
WEGHORST NEARLY IN
A very lively start from the hosts sees Otavio almost square to Weghorst for a tap-in but Botman intervenes. Wolfsburg starting on the front foot here.
1'
OFF WE GO!
Wolfsburg get us underway...
ANTHEM TIME
That famous Champions League music plays out to the backdrop of a very cold looking night in Wolfsburg where there are ice warnings overnight and the temperature is at just two degrees celsius. The Wolves will be hoping to warm to things quickly.
10 MINUTES TO KICK-OFF!
It's almost go time in Wolfsburg on a massive night for the hosts. Can they grab all three points and secure their passage to the UCL knockouts? We'll soon find out...
RED HOT AT HOME
Wolfsburg boast a very decent European home record in front of goal and have scored first in six of their last seven at the Volkswagen Arena. They're also unbeaten in their last seven as hosts in Europe, winning six and drawing once more.
2:03
Watch: Mainz 3-0 Wolfsburg
Defeat to Mainz at the weekend made it three defeats on the spin in all competitions for Wolfsburg. They'll be hoping tonight is the night that their season turns the corner.
THREE CHANGES FOR LILLE
The Ligue 1 champions have made three changes to the side that beat Lille 2-1 at the weekend. Jonathan David, Sven Botman and Gabriel Gudmudsson all come into the team. Bundesliga fans will remember Renato Sanches from his time at Bayern Munich, with the Portuguese starting in the centre of midfield tonight.
PERMUTATIONS
"All or nothing" and "It all comes down to this" have been the Wolfsburg taglines on Twitter today and that's because nothing but a win will keep the Wolves in Europe. A win will seal their place in the Champions League knockouts and could earn them top spot, but a draw or defeat won't even be enough for them to drop into the Europa League.
WALDSCHMIDT STARTS FOR WOLVES
Lukas Nmecha's suspension means Luca Waldschmidt is handed a first UEFA Champions League start for Wolfsburg tonight, with Florian Kohfeldt also preferring Yannick Gerhardt to Dodi Lukebakio in attack and Sebastiaan Bornauw to Jonathan Brooks in defence. Kevin Mbabu also gets the nod over Ridle Baku on the right.
Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of Wolfsburg's crucial UEFA Champions League encounter with French champions Lille. Team news has just dropped so what better place to start than by looking at how these two line up tonight...
Match stats
Wolfsburg were without Lukas Nmecha; Wolfsburg’s seven-goal top scorer in all competitions so far this season, with two of those goals coming in the Champions League.
Wout Weghorst has six goals for the campaign, hasn't scored in five Champions League appearances.
Renato Steffen scored his second UCL goal of the campaign.
Wolfsburg's seven game unbeaten run at home in the Champions League came to an end (W6, D1).
Lille ended a winless run of five matches on German soil (D2, L3).
Lille's Renato Sanches made 53 competitive appearances for Bayern Munich between 2016 and 2018, winning two Bundesliga titles and the DFB Cup.
Line-ups
Wolfsburg: Casteels (c) - Lacroix, Guilavogui (F. Nmecha 76'), Bornauw - Mbabu (Baku 63'), Vranckx, Arnold, Otavio (Roussillon 63') - Waldschmidt (Steffen 75'), Weghorst, Gerhardt (Lukebakio 46') Subs: Pervan, van der Ven, Philipp, Brooks, Ginczek Out: Mehmedi (muscular), Schlager (knee), William (knee), L. Nmecha (suspended) Coach: Florian Kohfeldt
With just 90 minutes of football still to be played in Group G, all four teams can still qualify. Wolfsburg currently lie bottom of the section, but will go through if they win and will even finish top of the group if Salzburg and Sevilla draw in the night's other match. Koen Casteels missed his club's last three competitive outings, including last weekend's Bundesliga defeat at Mainz, but the Wolves' first-choice goalkeeper captains the side for the encounter at the Volkswagen Arena. Nmecha's booking in the Matchday 5 loss in Seville means he is suspended leaving Luca Waldschmidt, who has only recently returned from a thigh injury, to make his first Champions League start for the club.
Lille also have disciplinary problems with Xeka and Jonathan Bamba both suspended following yellow cards in the 1-0 win over Salzburg that took the French champions to the top of the group last time out. Key midfielder Benjamin Andre and France international forward Jonathan Ikone both missed that game with bans, but are available and start. USMNT forward Timothy Weah is out, however, after suffering a thigh injury in training late last week as Jocelyn Gourvennec's side go for the win that will assure them of top spot in the group. They will also finish first if they draw and second-placed Salzburg — currently one point behind — do not win at home to Sevilla. A point will be enough for Lille to secure a place in the knockout stages.
