Nmecha and Weghorst earn Wolfsburg draw at Bielefeld

Arminia Bielefeld 2-2 Wolfsburg
Goals: 1-0 Okugawa 11’ (assist: Wimmer), 2-0 Klos (pen. 54’), 2-1 Weghorst 62’ (assist: Lukebakio), 2-2 Nmecha 63’ (assist: Philipp)

Wolfsburg have been something of a bogey team for Bielefeld, but the home side started with a steely determination to get something from this match. In the opening stages, they grabbed the bull by the horns and took the lead. Patrick Wimmer pushed his way through the Wolfsburg midfield, seeing off challenges from several defenders before chipping the ball over the defence for Okugawa, who slotted into the bottom corner. Over the first half, Bielefeld harried and pressed and never let Wolfsburg get back into the game.

After the break, Wolfsburg were determined to overcome the defecit as quickly as possible and had two early chances that made the home fans sweat. Those nerves were settled somewhat when Fabian Klos made it 2-0 from the spot after Kevin Mbabu gave away a penalty. However, barely five minutes later, substitute Dodi Lukebakio put a ball across the face of goal that Weghorst tucked away to give Wolfsburg some hope. Just one minute later, that hope was truly alive after Nmecha made some space for himself and lashed a shot past Stefan Ortega. Bielefeld would have Ortega to thank for keeping the scores level as the keeper produced some impressive saves to keep the Wolves from the door.

• Okugawa has scored three of Bielefeld’s nine goals this season.
• Bielefeld haven’t won back-to-back Bundesliga matches since early 2007. That’s also the year they last beat Wolfsburg, in a 3-1 win.
• This was the first time Bielefeld have led at half-time this campaign.
• Nmecha has scored in every game under Florian Kohfeldt, and is Wolfsburg’s top scorer in all competitions this season (seven, including five in the Bundesliga).
• Weghorst was back on the scoresheet for the first time in six matches since 19 September, against Eintracht Frankfurt.
• Wolfsburg had won their last six competitive meetings with Bielefeld, five in the Bundesliga among them.

Watch: Weghorst: "We showed a great mentality"

Bielefeld: Ortega - Brunner, Pieper, Nilsson, Laursen (de Medina 66') - Prietl, Vasiliadis (Kunze 66') - Wimmer (Fernandes 30'), Schöpf, Okugawa (Hack 83') - Klos (c) (Lasme 83')
Unused subs: Kapino, Ramos, Serra, Andrade
Out: Krüger (ill)
Coach: Frank Kramer 

Wolfsburg: Casteels (c) - Mbabu (Lukebakio 61'), Bornauw, Brooks - Baku, Steffen (Philipp 46'), Arnold, Otavio (Roussillon 25') - L. Nmecha (Vranckx 88'), Gerhardt - Weghorst
Unused subs: Pervan, Van de Ven, Waldschmidt, F. Nmecha, Ginczek
Out: Bialek (knee), Guilavogui (calf), Lacroix (suspended), Mehmedi (muscular), Schlager (knee), William (knee)
Coach: Florian Kohfeldt