Sebastian Rudy gave the visitors an early lead, but VfL responded well and equalised through Admir Mehmedi nine minutes before the interval. Josip Brekalo and Mehmedi had goals disallowed either side of half-time as the Wolves grew in confidence, but VfL were fortunate to hold on in the dying stages as Robert Skov and Christoph Baumgartner went close to snatching all three points for the visitors.
Steffen and William return
Oliver Glasner made two changes to the team that beat FC Oleksandriya in their Europa League opener on Thursday. William replaced Kevin Mbabu on the right-hand side of midfield, with Renato Steffen coming in for Jerome Roussillon on the opposite flank.
Mehmedi strikes again
VfL went into the game on the back of an impressive unbeaten start to the season but fell behind with just six minutes on the clock. Pavel Kaderabek collected Benjamin Hübner’s raking cross-field pass before teeing up Rudy, who thumped the ball into the far corner beyond the despairing dive of Pavao Pervan. The Wolves refused to let their heads drop and nearly fashioned an equaliser when Mehmedi set up Wout Weghorst, but the Dutchman failed to direct his effort on target.
The Green-Whites eventually drew level nine minutes before the break, Mehmedi playing a neat one-two with Weghorst before rifling an unstoppable shot past Oliver Baumann and into the roof of the net. The hosts continued to dominate and Brekalo thought he had fired his team ahead moments later, only for the goal to be disallowed for handball. Skov then struck the underside of the crossbar three minutes before the break, but there was no separating the two teams at half-time.
A point apiece
The game continued to ebb and flow after the restart, with both sides creating opportunities to take the lead. Mehmedi fired home William’s low cross shortly after the hour mark, but the Switzerland international was adjudged to be in an offside position and the goal was chalked off once again.
The visitors went close themselves when Marcel Tisserand prodded inches wide of his own goal while trying to dispossess Sargis Adamyan, before Pervan produced a world-class save to deny Baumgartner from the resulting corner. Skov almost sealed the points for TSG deep into stoppage time, but missed the target by inches as VfL held on for a hard-fought point and drew 1-1 for the third successive Bundesliga game.
VfL Wolfsburg: Pervan - Knoche, Guilavogui (c), Tisserand - William (Mbabu 78’), Gerhardt, Arnold, Steffen - Mehmedi (Klaus 86’), Brekalo (Nmecha 73’) - Weghorst
TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann - Posch (Akpoguma 88’), Vogt (c), Hübner, Skov - Grillitsch, Rudy, Geiger (Baumgartner 76’), Kaderabek, Bebou - Belfodil (Adamyan 70’)
Goals: Rudy (6’), Mehmedi (36’)
Yellow cards: Gerhardt, Arnold / Posch, Geiger, Akpoguma, Adamyan
Attendance: 21,200
Referee: Benjamin Cortus (Röthenbach)
