Kramaric off the mark in Hoffenheim win

Hoffenheim 3-1 Wolfsburg
Goals: 0-1 Baku (25'), 1-1 Kramaric (45'+2), 2-1 Baumgartner (74'), 3-1 Kaderabek (81')

Wolfsburg were one of the league’s three unbeaten teams at kick-off – and immediately made it clear why. Robust in the tackles and supremely organised without the ball, the only sight of goal Hoffenheim had in the first 45 minutes was when Ihlas Bebou’s cushioned header teed up Kramaric for a shot early on, but he skewed it over from 20 yards. The away side also struggled to carve out chances of their own, though, and seven of their eight attempts at goal in the first half were from long range – although one of them did find the net. Maximilian Philipp found Ridle Baku in space on the inside-left channel, and the Germany international curled a sensational shot into the top corner. The teams went into the break on level terms, though, as Kramaric popped up at the back post in the second minute of stoppage time to head home from a corner.

If Wolfsburg were the better side for most of the first half, the second period was a much tighter affair. The visitors continued to try their luck from distance, but neither Philipp nor Dodi Lukebakio forced Oliver Baumann into a save with their speculative efforts. Hoffenheim hadn’t had a shot at goal since Kramaric’s equaliser, but they took the lead with their next attempt in the 74th minute when Pavel Kaderabek skipped in behind Jerome Roussillon and pulled the ball back for Christoph Baumgartner, who stroked in from 10 yards out. Kaderabek sealed the points on Hoffenheim’s second win of the season in the closing stages, prodding in on the rebound after David Raum had hit the post with a free-kick, handing Wolfsburg their first league defeat of 2021/22.

• Kramaric netted his first Bundesliga goal of the season with his 22nd shot of the campaign.
• Baku's goal was his second this term, and second away from home.
• Wolfsburg scored 12 goals from outside the box in 2020/21, but Baku's strike was their first from range this season.
• Maximilian Arnold made his 257th Bundesliga outing in this game, a club record for an outfield player. Only former goalkeeper Diego Benaglio (259) made more top-flight appearances for the Wolves.
• Ten different players have now scored in the Bundesliga for Hoffenheim so far this season, led by Jacob Bruun Larsen on two.
• This was the first time Hoffenheim have beaten Wolfsburg after going 1-0 down, having previously drawn one and lost seven.

Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) - Kaderabek, Vogt (Posch 85'), Richards, Raum - Samassekou, Grillitsch (Geiger 85') - Baumgartner (Akpoguma 79'), Kramaric, Adamyan (Bruun Larsen 70') - Bebou (Rutter 69')
Unused subs: Pentke, Dabbur, Gacinovic, Skov
Out: Bicakcic (knee), Hübner (back), Nordtveit (thigh), Rudy (back), Stiller (knock)
Coach: Sebastian Hoeneß

Wolfsburg: Casteels (c) - Mbabu, Lacroix, Brooks, Roussillon (Bornauw 82') - Guilavogui, Arnold - Baku (L. Nmecha 76'), Philipp (Waldschmidt 76'), Lukebakio - Weghorst
Unused subs: Pervan, Vranckx, Steffen, F. Nmecha, Gerhardt, Ginczek
Out: Bialek (knee), Otavio (ankle), Schlager (knee), William (knee)
Coach: Mark van Bommel