VfL Wolfsburg – Nmecha returns with two goals

No one at VfL Wolfsburg was as happy about the 5-1 (1-0) win against Borussia Mönchengladbach as Lukas Nmecha. At the end of 2022, the former national striker missed the World Cup in Qatar due to a serious knee injury. After three short comebacks and three serious setbacks, the 26-year-old only really made his comeback on Tuesday evening with two goals in the Bundesliga. Less than a quarter of an hour after coming on as a substitute, Nmecha scored against Gladbach to make it 4-0 (84th) and 5-0 (87th). “My family, my physios, the doctors: there are so many people who have helped me,” said the older brother of Dortmund international Felix Nmecha: “I feel good. I’m fit. The suffering is over. Now I can attack!”

Lukas Nmecha injured his knee three times and his thigh once. He has been absent from Wolfsburg for almost 600 days since the fateful home game against Borussia Dortmund in November 2022. He only made four short appearances last season – and has now made seven substitutions since his comeback against FC Augsburg at the beginning of November 2024. Nmecha’s contract in Wolfsburg expires in five and a half months. He doesn’t have much time to recommend a new one. But the game against Gladbach was an important step. “He’s back. There is no question that he has a quality that will help you. That’s why I’m glad I have him,” said VfL coach Ralph Hasenhüttl.

While Wolfsburg continued its successful run, climbed to sixth place in the table and now scored more goals in the preliminary round (38) than ever before in its Bundesliga history, the mood among the Gladbachers was bad: “With the second half, especially after the 0 :2, I don’t agree at all,” complained Borussia coach Gerardo Seoane: “We were sometimes headless and showed mental weakness.”