The first matchday of the 2. Bundesliga is over – and the first point is on the board. That leaves the Wolves 11th in the 2. Bundesliga table for the time being. Despite a host of clear-cut chances at both ends, the opening fixture against 1. FC Kaiserslautern ultimately ended goalless. Although the hoped-for three points did not materialise at the start of the season, there were still plenty of highlights both on and off the pitch.
Match facts:
7+1 debuts: No fewer than seven Wolves – more than half of the starting XI – made their competitive VfL debuts from the start on Saturday evening. They included not only Mathys Angely and goalkeeper Jakub Zielinski, who replaced the injured Timon Wellenreuther, but also new signings Hauke Wahl, Muhammed Damar, Fraser Hornby, Fabian Reese and Robert Glatzel. Alessio Besio, who replaced Hornby in the 68th minute, also made his first competitive appearance for the Wolves.
Just one change for K’lautern: While there were plenty of changes for the Wolves, it was a very different story for the Red Devils. Jan Elvedi was the only FCK new signing named in the starting line-up.
Familiar yet unfamiliar: Elvis Rexhbecaj also marked a small milestone. While it was not his first game as a Wolf, it was his first competitive appearance since returning. Rexhbecaj’s previous outing for the Green-and-Whites came against AS St.-Etienne in the Europa League in December 2019. It was also the midfielder’s first-ever appearance in the 2. Bundesliga.
A draw full of goal-line heroics: Although there were no goals in the first 2. Bundesliga top match, there was no shortage of opportunities. Maxwell Gyamfi cleared off the line twice for Kaiserslautern, while Zielinski, making his first appearance between the posts for the first team, also impressed with a string of saves on his debut.
The first Player of the Match: Given his performance on his debut, the Player of the Match award comes as little surprise: Zielinski claimed first place with 63 per cent of the vote. Reese (25 per cent) and Damar (13 per cent) finished second and third respectively.
The captain is back: Maximilian Arnold missed the remainder of last season after suffering an injury at the end of April. The VfL captain returned just in time for the start of the new campaign, making his comeback at the Volkswagen Arena. Arnold, who came on for Vini Souza, played around ten minutes and was greeted with a huge ovation from the fans.
The Anderlecht connection: There was also an immediate reunion during the pre-match pitch inspection. Angely, who was on loan at RSC Anderlecht 2026, met up with his former team-mate Ibrahim Kanate, who is currently also on loan at 1. FCK. From the 66th minute onwards, the pair then went head-to-head on the pitch.
It’s been a while: It had been 5,271 days since VfL Wolfsburg and 1. FC Kaiserslautern last met. More than a decade ago, on 3 March 2012 to be precise, the Wolves had last faced the Red Devils. Yet the result was much the same: that game at the Betzenberg also ended 0-0. The last goal in this fixture dates back even further, with VfL legend Ashkan Dejagah scoring the only goal in a 1-0 home win for the Wolves in September 2011.
Head-to-head stats:
- xGoals: 1.26 WOB – 0.87 FCK
- Shots: 19 WOB – 8 FCK
- Distance covered: 118.77 km WOB – 115.20 km FCK
- Possession: 63% WOB – 37% FCK
- Duels won: 53% WOB – 47% FCK
- Pass completion: 85% WOB – 75% FCK
- Successful dribbles: 42% WOB – 23% FCK
- Fastest player: Kento Shiogai (WOB) 33.8 km/h – Ibrahim Kanate (FCK) 33.9 km/h
- Most distance covered: Kilian Fischer (WOB) 11.95 km – Semih Sahin (FCK) 12.16 km
