A clever, clinical away performance from Wolfsburg earned them three points at the Commerzbank-Arena for the third season in a row. The hosts had the majority of the possession and the chances but the visitors defended stoutly and were effective on the counter, with Admir Mehmedi and Daniel Ginczek scoring in each half to put them 2-0 up. Luka Jovic made it a nervous final few minutes when he pulled a goal back but Bruno Labbadia’s men held on for an excellent win. They’re back in action next Saturday when they host TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (15:30 CET).
Labbadia keeps faith with winning team
The Green-Whites were unchanged from last weekend’s 1-0 victory over RB Leipzig, although team captain Josuha Guilavogui was back in the squad for the first time since sustaining a knee injury on Matchday 1.
Mehmedi strikes against run of play
Eintracht went into the match in flying form and they dominated the early stages at the Commerzbank-Arena, pinning the Wolves back inside their own half. The first big chance of the game arrived in the 14th minute when Jonathan de Guzman struck the post. It was 27 minutes before VfL created their first real opportunity, when Wout Weghorst hit the bar after a counterattack. However, they took the lead from a similar situation just a few minutes later. Ginczek played in Mehmedi, who drove into the penalty area before placing a low shot into the far corner. The goal rattled the hosts, who couldn’t fashion any further chances before the break.
Wolves cling on to three points
Unsurprisingly, Frankfurt immediately applied pressure on Koen Casteels’ goal at the start of the second half. However, the Wolves’ rearguard stood firm and Labbadia’s charges then had a good chance to make it 2-0, John Anthony Brooks heading over from Jerome Roussillon’s cross. As the Eagles began to up the pressure, the game became more open and VfL continued to find opportunities on the counter. With 68 minutes on the clock, they grabbed the all-important second goal. After winning possession in the middle of the Eintracht half, Elvis Rexhbecaj crossed the ball to the back post where Ginczek volleyed it into the ground and into the net. Jovic set up a nervous finale to the match when he pulled a goal back in the 87th minute, but the Wolves held on to claim back-to-back league wins for the first time since the opening two Matchdays and end Eintracht’s 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp – Russ, Hasebe, Ndicka – da Costa, Fernandes (Gacinovic 63’), de Guzman (Willems 63’), Kostic – Rebic – Jovic, Haller
VfL Wolfsburg: Casteels - William, Knoche, Brooks, Roussillon – Rexhbecaj (Steffen 90+3‘), Arnold, Gerhardt – Mehmedi (Guilavogui 90’) – Ginczek (Uduokhai (82‘), Weghorst
Goals: Mehmedi (31’), Ginczek (68’), Jovic (87’)
Yellow cards: Fernandes, Trapp, Russ / Brooks, Weghorst, Pervan, Roussillon, Rexhbecaj, William, Gerhardt
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Sascha Stegemann (Niederkassel)
