VfL Wolfsburg suffered their second defeat of the season on Friday evening, going down to a 2-0 reverse at SV Werder Bremen.

In a match of few clear-cut chances, goals from Davy Klaassen and Johannes Eggestein sealed the three points for Bremen, who extended their lengthy unbeaten run at home. It was an even contest in terms of possession, but the Wolves lacked the necessary incision in the final third to take anything from the game. VfL return to action after the international break with a home fixture against champions Bayern Munich on Saturday 20 October.

Tisserand makes comeback

Head coach Bruno Labbadia made a solitary change from the side that drew 2-2 with Borussia Mönchengladbach last Saturday. Ignacio Camacho missed out through injury, so fit-again Marcel Tisserand made his first appearance of the season. There was also a slight change in tactics, with Labbadia switching from the 4-3-3 formation used in recent games to a 4-2-3-1.

Hosts get noses in front

The Wolves made a positive start to the match and created the first real chance in the 12th minute. After a brilliant run down the left, Jérôme Roussillon drilled the ball across the area and it bounced off Wout Weghorst – who didn’t know much about it – and onto the near post. Chances were at a premium after that but the home side started to gain a foothold as the half wore on and broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Klaassen pounced on Theodor Gebre Selassie's cross into the box and volleyed past Koen Casteels.

Late goal seals it

The second half continued in a similar vein, with goalscoring opportunities few and far between. The most notable opportunity for the Wolves arrived in the 55th minute when Maximilian Arnold whipped in a free-kick and although John Brooks got ahead of his man, he couldn’t squeeze the ball in from a tight angle. The Green-Whites turned up the pressure heading into the final 20 minutes, with substitute Daniel Ginczek firing just wide of the target from the edge of the area. However, Bremen sealed victory on 86 minutes when Claudio Pizarro played in fellow substitute Johannes Eggestein, who fired past Casteels.

SV Werder Bremen: Pavlenka – Gebre Selassie, Langkamp, Moisander, Augustinsson – M. Eggestein, Bargfrede, Klaassen (Möhwald 89’) – Osako (J. Eggestein 83‘), Kruse, Kainz (Pizarro 75‘)

VfL Wolfsburg: Casteels – William, Knoche, Brooks, Roussillon – Tisserand (Rexhbecaj (85‘), Arnold – Steffen (Blaszczykowski 78’), Malli (Ginczek 59’), Brekalo – Weghorst

Goals: Klaassen (35’), J. Eggestein (86’)

Yellow cards: Kainz, M. Eggestein, Bargfrede / William, Ginczek

Attendance: 42,100

Referee: Martin Petersen (Stuttgart)