In a game of two halves, VfL Wolfsburg showed great character and scored two magnificent goals to win 2-1 in Freiburg on Saturday. The come-from-behind victory – their second win in succession – moved VfL a step closer to Bundesliga survival, with six points now separating Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side from the relegation play-off position ahead of the visit of already-relegated Darmstadt (kick-off 15:30 CEST on Saturday 4 May).
Further facts and figures
Second-half revival: For the first time in 71 attempts (15 draws, 56 defeats), the Wolves manged to claim all three points after trailing at half-time. The last time they did so was against TSG Hoffenheim in February 2017, when they also recovered from 1-0 down to win 2-1.
A changed team: VfL endured a forgettable first half in Freiburg, but they were unrecognisable after the restart. Before the break, the Wolves needed 20.3 seconds on average to regain possession, compared to just 12.6 seconds in the second half.
Bornauw banned: Sebastiaan Bornauw picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in Freiburg, ruling him out of the home game against Darmstadt.
Captain Fantastic: After his magnificent free-kick proved the catalyst for the Wolves’ recovery, captain Maximilian Arnold was named Man of the Match by VfL supporters with 45 per cent of the votes. Maxence Lacroix received 37 per cent after his late winner, while substitute Kevin Paredes finished third with seven per cent.
Head-to-head comparison
Attempts: SCF 16 – WOB 13
xG: SCF 1.76 – WOB 0.56
Distance covered: SCF 106.9 km – WOB 111.9
Possession: SCF 50 % – WOB 50 %
Challenges won: SCF 58 % – WOB 42 %
Fastest player: Christian Günter (SCF) 33.18 km/h – Mattias Svanberg (WOB) 35 km/h
Most ground covered: Roland Sallai (SCF) 10.9 km – Maximilian Arnold (WOB) 11 km
