Wimmer double as Wolfsburg win at Gladbach

Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-3 Wolfsburg
Goals: 0-1 Wimmer 4' (assist: Majer), 1-1 Koulierakis o.g. 22', 1-2 Amoura 30' (assist: Eriksen), 1-3 Wimmer 34' (assist: Eriksen)

Gladbach went into the fixture in excellent form, having taken 13 points from their previous five Bundesliga matches – a record only matched by Bayern Munich in that period, but Wolfsburg had shown signs of improvement under Bauer, collecting four points from his first three matches in charge. 

Wolfsburg made a blistering start, controlling more than 80 percent of possession in the opening minutes. Their early dominance was rewarded in the fourth minute when Lovro Majer floated a delightful pass over the Gladbach defence, which Wimmer controlled expertly on his chest before lashing a powerful finish past Moritz Nicolas.

The hosts struggled to gain a foothold but equalised against the run of play in the 22nd minute when Rocco Reitz crossed from the left, with the ball inadvertently headed into his own net by Konstantinos Koulierakis. Parity lasted just eight minutes, however, as Mohamed Amoura restored Wolfsburg's lead, pouncing on a loose ball after Nico Elvedi's attempted clearance from Christian Eriksen's cross. Wimmer then doubled his tally in the 34th minute, converting Eriksen's precise through ball to establish a commanding 3-1 lead at the break.

Eugen Polanski's side emerged with greater purpose after the break, applying more pressure and forcing Wolfsburg deeper. Gladbach introduced Wael Mohya in the 57th minute – making him the club's youngest ever Bundesliga player at just 16 years and 347 days old. The hosts' growing momentum almost produced a goal in the 72nd minute when Haris Tabaković bundled home from close range, only for VAR to rule it out for offside.

Wolfsburg remained dangerous on the counter-attack, with Majer striking the crossbar in the 61st minute after being set up by Amoura. Yannik Engelhardt then hit the post for Gladbach in the 79th minute as the Foals continued to push forward, but the visitors' defence held firm to secure all three points and move to within a point of the hosts in the table.

Due to technical issues, the Man of the Match vote could not be carried out as usual. The editorial choice was Patrick Wimmer. The Wolfsburg attacker was decisive with two goals from three shots. Furthermore, his 21 sprints were the most at the time of his substitution.

Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Gladbach 0.89 - Wolfsburg 1.4
Fastest player: Nico Elvedi (Gladbach), 33.16 km/h
Most pressed player: Lovro Majer (Wolfsburg), 15 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Christian Eriksen (Wolfsburg), 2.57

Fantasy Heroes: Patrick Wimmer (Wolfsburg, 390 Points), Mohamed Amoura (Wolfsburg, 240 Points), Philipp Sander (Gladbach, 238 Points)