Bundesliga
Wout Weghorst opened his account for the season with a late equaliser for Wolfsburg to cancel out Jonas Hofmann's penalty for Borussia Mönchengladbach in an entertaining 1-1 draw on Saturday.
Gladbach 1-1 Wolfsburg
Goal: 1-0 Hofmann (pen. 78'), 1-1 Weghorst (85')
The teams only had a combined seven of a possible 18 points on the board prior to kick-off and each began at breakneck pace in a bid to put that to rights. There were openings at both ends as they traded early blows, with Lars Stindl heading straight at Koen Casteels and Marcus Thuram firing into the side netting, while Maximilian Arnold tested Yann Sommer with a trademark drive. Newly capped Germany international Florian Neuhaus went closer to scoring than anyone in the first half, but his glancing header from Hofmann’s cross struck the base of the post. Weghorst had a couple of half-chances for the visitors to open his account for the season, but was unable to force a save from Sommer, before Stindl sent a stunning volley from the edge of the area wide as the teams went in goalless at the break.
The match continued to ebb and flow in the second half, although it was Wolfsburg who fashioned the clearest opportunities. Admir Mehmedi curled over after an inviting cushioned lay-off by Weghorst, and the Swiss attacker was denied by Sommer moments later following a superb shot on the turn. Arnold gave Sommer a moment of panic with a trademark stinging drive from distance that the goalkeeper was grateful to block, and he breathed another sigh of relief when Ridle Baku’s follow-up shot on the rebound fizzed wide. Yet the tide turned in Gladbach's favour against the run of play in the final quarter of an hour when Maxence Lacroix's attempted back pass was too short for Casteels, allowing Thuram to nip in and win a penalty, which Hofmann dispatched confidently. There was one final twist though, as Weghorst was in the right place at the right time to receive Baku's cross from the right, firing in the equaliser to secure a fourth straight draw for the Wolves.
Watch: Hofmann: "Very disappointed not to win"
Gladbach: Sommer - Lainer (Jantschke 76'), Ginter, Elvedi, Wendt (Bensebaini 77') - Kramer, Neuhaus - Hofmann, Stindl (c) (Wolf 70'), Thuram (Traore 85') - Embolo (Herrmann 70')
Unused subs: Sippel, Lang, Reitz
Out: Benes (match fitness), Lazaro (match fitness), Plea (personal reasons), Poulsen (shoulder), Villalba (muscular)
Coach: Marco Rose
Wolfsburg: Casteels - Baku, Lacroix, Brooks, Roussillon - Guilavogui (c), Arnold, Schlager (Gerhardt 46') - Mehmedi (Steffen 78'), Weghorst, Brekalo (Philipp 89')
Unused subs: Pervan, Malli, Klaus, Bialek, Marmoush, Siersleben
Out: Bruma (thigh), Mbabu (knee), Otavio (hamstring), Pongracic (glandular fever), William (knee)
Coach: Oliver Glasner