Bundesliga: damper for Wolfsburg’s European mood: Kiel gets a draw

Relegation candidate Holstein Kiel surprisingly wrested a draw from European Cup aspirants VfL Wolfsburg. Lower Saxony didn’t get beyond 2:2 (0:1). Coach Ralph Hasenhüttl’s team is temporarily in sixth place in the table, while Kiel remains second to last.

The efficient Bundesliga newcomer from the north took the lead thanks to new signing David Zec (13th minute). With a double strike from Joker Patrick Wimmer (50th) and Jonas Wind (53rd), the Lower Saxony team turned the game around in front of 22,103 spectators in Wolfsburg. Substitute Steven Skrzybski equalized (80′).

Kiel surprisingly in the lead

A Slovakian-Slovenian co-production resulted in the guests’ surprising lead. Wolfsburg coach Ralph Hasenhüttl looked down in embarrassment after the Slovenian Zec scored the 1-0 with a header from a cross from the Slovakian defender Dominik Javorcek.

Immediately afterwards, Zec was back in focus. After a duel between the 25-year-old and VfL gem Mohamed Amoura (15th), the Lower Saxony team called for a penalty. But the slight push against Wolfsburg’s top clipper wasn’t enough for more. Referee Sven Jablonski did not respond to the requests and decided on a goal kick instead of a penalty.

Wolfsburg remained the team that dominated the game – and at times had more than 65 percent possession of the ball during the first half. But there were too few chances to score. Central defender Konstantinos Koulierakis tried a long-range shot from almost 25 meters, but his attempt whizzed just past the goal.

Significantly better VfL in the second half

Hasenhüttl sent a much more offensive VfL into the second half. The coach brought newcomer Andreas Skov Olsen and the Austrian Wimmer. And the substitutes delivered straight away. First the Danish international missed the connection with his shot, then it was Wimmer’s turn and, after a clever pass from Jonas Wind, pushed in to equalize. Kiel’s goalkeeper Timon Weiner touched the shot, but could not prevent the goal being conceded.

The 23-year-old Wimmer then really turned up the heat. He made it 2-1 from Wind with a corner kick. The Danish offensive player headed the ball into the lead. Wimmer, who has been playing for VfL since 2022 and had to struggle with a long-term torn syndesmotic ligament, was almost unstoppable. First he hit the crossbar (56th) and then the post (64th).

But the Kiel team came back completely unexpectedly. Substitute attacker Skrzybski shot towards the Wolves’ goal. Goalkeeper Kamil Grabara got hold of the deflected shot, but the ball slowly slipped into the goal behind him.