First Team

Wondergoals help Wolves beat Freiburg

VfL came from behind to earn a 2-1 win at SC Freiburg.

VfL-Wolfsburg-Spieler Maximilian Arnold jubelt.

VfL Wolfsburg celebrated a crucial 2-1 victory away to SC Freiburg on Bundesliga Matchday 31, the result enabling the Wolves to take a big step towards securing their top-flight status for another season.

The hosts were the better team in a lacklustre first half, and took the lead shortly before the interval via a Sebastiaan Bornauw own goal (42’). The Green-and-Whites were much improved after the break, however, and managed to turn the game on its head in the closing stages. Maximilian Arnold scored a superb equaliser with an eye-catching free-kick (82’), before Maxence Lacroix smashed in a late winner from 25 yards (90’), sparking wild scenes of celebration.

VfL host SV Darmstadt 98 on Saturday 4 May at the Volkswagen Arena (kick-off 15:30 CEST), where a victory would guarantee their place in the Bundesliga next season.

Goals

  • 1-0 Sebastiaan Bornauw (42): So frustrating! Ritsu Doan gets forward down the right and sends a low cross into the penalty area, where VfL centre-back Bornauw diverts the ball into his own net, leaving Koen Casteels wrong-footed.
     
  • 1-1 Maximilian Arnold (82): The captain curls a free-kick over the wall and in off the left-hand post to level the score.
     
  • 1-2 Maxence Lacroix (90): Incredible! The Wolves turn the game around as Lacroix lets fly from distance, his powerful drive arrowing high into the net.

Reaction

Ralph Hasenhüttl: “We were lucky to still be in the game after the first half. A lot of the things we set out to do didn’t work, so we needed to make some adjustments during the interval. I think we made the right decisions, both in terms of personnel and tactics. We were able to exert more pressure up front and managed to keep Freiburg away from our goal more. We showed our true colours. Freiburg’s missed penalty gave us an extra energy boost, too. The team showed the desire to take an important step towards avoiding relegation. Maxence’s thunderbolt was the perfect expression of everything we tried to do in the second half. The boys should be really proud of themselves.”

Christian Streich: “We played well – it doesn’t get much better than that. It was one of our best home games in the Bundesliga this season. But then sometimes things happen in football that you just can’t explain. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. What matters now is how the team deals with it. We won’t go around complaining; we’ll focus on our football so that we can produce a good performance in Cologne and keep going.”

Line-ups and stats

SC Freiburg: Atubolu – Sildillia, Keitel, Gulde – Doan, – Eggestein (90‘+5 Muslija), Höfler, Günter (90‘+2 Weißhaupt), Sallai, Grifo (72‘ Makengo) – Gregoritsch (72‘ Höler)

Subs: Müller (GK), Szalai, Adamu, Breunig, Philipp

VfL Wolfsburg: Casteels – Bornauw, Lacroix, Zesiger (46’ Paredes) – Fischer (46‘ Maehle), Gerhardt, Arnold, Vranckx (69‘ Svanberg), Baku, Tomas (46‘ Wimmer) – Wind (90‘+5 Behrens)

Subs: Pervan (GK), Jenz, Kaminski, Majer

Goals: 1-0 Bornauw (42’/own goal), 1-1 Arnold (82’), 1-2 Lacroix (90’)

Yellow cards: Gregorisch, Sallai, Makengo, Höfler, Höler / Arnold, Bornauw

Red card: Sildillia

Memorable moment: Sallai misses from the spot (86‘)

Referee: Frank Willenborg (Osnabrück)

Attendance: 32,800 at Europa-Park-Stadion, Freiburg