First Team

Ten-man Wolves suffer narrow defeat

VfL lost 1-0 at home to Freiburg after Maximilian Arnold’s early dismissal.

VfL Wolfsburg slipped to a 1-0 home defeat against SC Freiburg on Saturday afternoon. Although the Wolves enjoyed the better start, the visitors grew into the game and dominated much of the encounter.

Arnold sent off

The decisive moment of the match arrived in the 26th minute when VfL captain Maximilian Arnold was shown a straight red card for a foul. The Green-and-Whites subsequently had to defend for much of the game, with Freiburg seizing control albeit without making the most of their chances.

Max Rosenfelder scored an eye-catching goal early in the second half to set the visitors on course for victory. The result means Freiburg have now won three Bundesliga fixtures in succession, leaving VfL winless in their last seven.

Dortmund next up

Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side are next in action at Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park on Saturday 3 May (kick-off 18:30 CEST).

Goal

0-1 Max Rosenfelder (49’): Rosenfelder receives possession on the edge of VfL’s penalty area, gets the better of Joakim Maehle and curls the ball into the corner from 13 metres out, leaving Kamil Grabara no chance.

Reaction

Ralph Hasenhüttl: “The match went in a completely different direction for us after the sending off. We defended well with ten men up until half-time and we wanted to retain an attacking threat in the second period by waiting for moments on the counter-attack. But then we conceded the goal. At the end of the day we lost by a goal, but I can’t criticise my players for their attitude.”

Julian Schuster: “We got into the game well. One of the decisive moments of the game was the red card. However, there was still the threat of giving Wolfsburg chances, given their strength in transition. But my team played in a very disciplined manner and didn’t give much away throughout the entire match. Obviously I’d have liked us to make more of our chances and put the game to bed earlier. But on the whole we defended well and that was the foundation for this win.”

Line-ups and stats

VfL Wolfsburg: Grabara – Fischer, Vavro, Koulierakis, Maehle – Arnold – Dardai (78‘ Nmecha), Wimmer (78‘ Majer) – Paredes (61‘ Kaminski), Amoura (58‘ Gerhardt) – Wind (78‘ Tomas)

Subs: Pervan (GK), Odogu, Behrens, Skov Olsen

SC Freiburg: F. Müller – Rosenfelder (71‘ Kübler), Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo – Eggestein, Osterhage, Doan (87‘ Sildillia), Höler (71‘ Manzambi), Grifo (71‘ Beste) – Adamu (46‘ Gregoritsch)

Subs: Huth (GK), Günter, Höfler, Röhl

Goal: 0-1 Rosenfelder (49‘)

Yellow card: Koulierakis, Amoura, Hasenhüttl, Paredes / Osterhage

Red card: Arnold (26‘) / -

Referee: Sven Jablonski (Bremen)

Attendance: 23,145 at Volkswagen Arena (Wolfsburg)