First Team

Wolves finish seventh

VfL Wolfsburg will enter the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds after losing 4-0 to FC Bayern Munich.

Goals from Kingsley Coman and Mickael Cuisance put the champions in the driving seat at half-time, with second-half strikes from Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller capping off a difficult afternoon for VfL, who also had Josuha Guilavogui sent off for a second bookable offence. The result, coupled with TSG Hoffenheim’s 4-0 win at Borussia Dortmund, means Wolfsburg finish the Bundesliga season in seventh place and miss out on direct qualification for the Europa League group stage.

Guilavogui returns to starting XI

After sitting out the 4-1 victory at Schalke last weekend, fit-again VfL captain Guilavogui was handed his first start since 15 February in the only change to the team that won in Gelsenkirchen. Xaver Schlager was unavailable due to injury, but Jerome Roussillon was deemed fit enough to start.

Bayern ruthless

Sporting their new light-green home kit, the Wolves created the game’s first opening when Roussillon fired wide from the edge of the box, but Coman broke clear of the VfL defence moments later before drilling low past Koen Casteels to give the visitors an early lead.

Josip Brekalo tested Manuel Neuer’s reflexes with a fierce strike from Roussillon’s cut-back, before Daniel Ginczek flashed a shot wide after fine work from Kevin Mbabu. However, the champions doubled their advantage eight minutes before the interval when Cuisance found the top corner with a curling long-range effort.

Skipper dismissed

In an end-to-end start to the second half, Maximilian Arnold curled a well-struck free-kick into Neuer’s arms before Serge Gnabry sliced wide from close range at the other end. Gnabry spurned another opportunity to extend the visitors’ lead soon afterwards, shooting straight at Casteels with Lewandowski well-positioned inside the area.

Oliver Glasner’s troops refused to let their heads drop and continued to create chances, Ginczek sidestepping David Alaba before sending another low effort into the grateful hands of Neuer. Moments later, however, Guilavogui was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Cuisance inside the penalty area, allowing Lewandowski to slot home Bayern’s third from the penalty spot. Müller completed the scoring with 11 minutes remaining, drilling home the visitors’ 100th league goal of the campaign from the corner of the area.

VfL Wolfsburg: Casteels - Mbabu, Pongracic, Brooks (Knoche 74’), Roussillon (Horn 85’) - Steffen (Marmoush 61’), Guilavogui, Arnold, Brekalo (Victor 61’) - Ginczek (Gerhardt 74’), Weghorst

FC Bayern Munich: Neuer - Odriozola (Pavard 62’), Boateng, Alaba (Hernandez 80’), Davies - Cuisance, Goretzka (Kimmich 80’) - Coman (Perisic 62’), Müller, Gnabry (Coutinho 62’) - Lewandowski

Goals: Coman 0-1 (4’), Cuisance 0-2 (37’), Lewandowski 0-3 (pen 72’), Müller 0-4 (79’)

Yellow cards: Weghorst, Guilavogui / -

Red card: Guilavogui (71’)

Referee: Patrick Ittrich (Hamburg)