The hosts run a few more seconds off the clock with a double substitution, as Doucoure and Bennetts replace Neuhaus and Stindl.

Embolo goes off to generous applause from the Gladbach bench after a superb display in what has been an all-round excellent team performance. Benes takes his place.

This goal had been coming and Stindl has now surely put the result to bed. Brooks' attempted pass out from the back is intercepted and quickly played wide to Traore on the right. He spies Stindl arriving in the box and pulls it back for the forward to sweep home.

It's another incisive attack from Gladbach and again they go close, this time as Embolo heads wide of the target from Lainer's pinpoint cross from the right.

The Gladbach attacker whips in a free-kick from the left towards the front post, but Mbabu sticks out a leg and is able to clear.

Gladbach carve through the Wolfsburg defence at will and when Embolo finds Hofmann completely unmarked at the back post, it looks like it's going to be 3-0 - but he drags his first-time shot just wide!

Gerhardt's driven cross from the right loops up off Wendt's boot and looks like it'll go into the top corner. Sommer backtracks quickly though and manages to pluck it out of the air just in time.

He wants his hat-trick! Hofmann receives the ball wide on the left and jinks inside Mbabu before firing off a powerful shot towards Cateels' near post. For a moment it looks like it's going in, but ends up rippling the side-netting.

Gladbach get the action under way once more. No changes from either side at the break.

Traore steals possession off Arnold in midfield and all of a sudden the home team are three versus two! Traore receives a return pass and his pace takes him past a defender and into the box, but his shot on his weaker right foot goes just wide of the far post.

Wolfsburg are trying to force an opening, but Gladbach's players are so assured in possession that they can get themselves out of trouble. Sommer has made a couple of routine saves, but is yet to be seriously tested.

You don't get any more efficient than that: Gladbach have had two shots on goal so far, and scored with them both!

Gladbach double their lead and once again it's Hofmann on the scoresheet. A long ball into the box is nodded down to Ginter, who touches it into the path of Hofmann, who makes no mistake from close range.

Whenever Hofmann has scored in the Bundesliga, his side have never lost (eight wins, three draws).

The Swiss striker again causes havoc in the Wolfsburg defence, nutmegging Schlager before sprinting forward and collecting the ball ahead of Brooks. He plays a low cross towards the back post, where Hofmann is arriving, but his pass is slightly too strong and Hofmann is forced wide. Embolo holds his head in his hands - that was another good opening.

The Gladbach winger has now netted three times in the Bundesliga this term, all of which have come in the second half of the season. It's his first on home turf, though, and it was the Foals' first shot of the game.

A Wolfsburg attack breaks down on the edge of the Gladbach box and suddenly the hosts are on the counter. Stindl feeds the ball to Embolo in a central position, about 40 yards from goal. He side-steps past Brooks and plays a delightful ball into the path of Hofmann, who slots it coolly past Casteels.

Much will ride on how Gladbach cope without their two top scorers here. Plea and Thuram have a combined tally of 20 goals and 18 assists between them in the Bundesliga this term, accounting for 65 per cent of the team’s overall total of 58.

The hosts are looking to settle quickly here and are keeping the ball in their own ranks, making Wolfsburg chase them. It's all in their own half or in midfield though, so no danger as yet.