Bundesliga
Ridle Baku and Lukas Nmecha get Wolfsburg off the mark against Salzburg
Ridle Baku and Lukas Nmecha were on target as Wolfsburg beat Red Bull Salzburg to record their first win in UEFA Champions League Group G.
Wolfsburg 2-1 RB Salzburg
Goals: 1-0 Baku 3' (assist: Gerhardt), 1-1 Wöber (30'), 2-1 Nmecha 60' (assist: Arnold)
Fresh off a morale-boosting 2-0 victory at Bayer Leverkusen in Florian Kohfeldt’s first game as head coach, Wolfsburg survived an early scare when Germany international Karim Adeyemi screwed wide with the goal at his mercy. The Wolves heeded the warning and duly took the lead when Baku connected from close range with Yannick Gerhardt’s low cross. John Brooks succeeded in keeping Adeyemi at arm’s length, but there was nothing the US defender could do about Salzburg’s equaliser. After Wout Weghorst was penalised for a foul on Mohamed Camara, Maximilian Wöber thundered in a free-kick Koen Casteels could only get a hand to.
Weghorst was almost punished for failing to make the most of two late first-half opportunities as Salzburg emerged from the restart with the bit between their teeth. Adeyemi drove wide when through on goal, before Noah Okafor shot tamely at Casteels from 10 yards. Wolfsburg’s response was right on the money. Maximilian Arnold launched a stunning pass into the path of Nmecha, who brought the bouncing ball under wraps and smashed into the top corner for 2-1. Wolfsburg went in search of a third as Aster Vranckx tried his luck from range, but needed a pair of smart saves from Casteels to deny Salzburg a late leveller and keep their hopes of progressing alive with two group games to go.
Match stats
- Wolfsburg are up to third in Group G, level on five points with Lille. Salzburg have seven; Sevilla three.
- The Wolves have won four of their last six home European games, the draw with Sevilla ending a five-match winning Champions League run at the Volkswagen-Arena.
- Nmecha has scored five competitive goals this season, including two in the Champions League.
- Baku scored his fourth goal of the season.
- However, Weghorst - Wolfsburg's top scorer for three seasons running - has not found the net in six matches.
- Kohfeldt made his Champions League debut. He is one of four head coaches under the age of 40 in this season's Champions League, along with Bayern Munich's Julian Nagelsmann.
Line-ups
Wolfsburg: Casteels (c) - Lacroix, Guilavogui, Brooks - Baku, Vranckx (Mbabu 82'), Arnold, Otavio (Steffen 73') - L. Nmecha, Weghorst (Lukebakio 63'), Gerhardt (Roussillon 73')
Unused subs: Pervan, Van de Ven, Philipp, F. Nmecha, Ginczek
Out: Bialek (knee), Bornauw (ankle), Mehmedi (muscular), Schlager (knee), Waldschmidt (thigh), William (knee)
Coach: Florian Kohfeldt
Salzburg: Köhn - Kristensen, Onguene (Solet 77'), Wöber, Ulmer (c) - Sucic (Adamu 77'), Camara (Kjaergaard 89'), Seiwald - Aaronson - Adeyemi (Sesko 63'), Okafor
Unused subs: Mantl, Walke, Bernede, Diambou, Ludewig, Guindo, Bernardo
Out: Capaldo (suspended), Junuzovic (heel), Koita (ACL), Piatkowski (ankle), Vallci (Achilles tendon)
Coach: Matthias Jaissle
As it happened!
2 - 1(1 - 1)
Wolfsburg
FINAL
Salzburg
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VICTORY!
Wolfsburg have held on to record their first win of this year's Champions League! It was a tight affair, but the home side did just enough to take all three points.
90' +4
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LAST CHANCE SALOON
We're in the final minute of play...
90' +3
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TWO MINUTES LEFT
Salzburg have set up shop around the Wolfsburg area. Can they find a late equalizer?
90'
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5 ADDED MINUTES
There will be a minimum of 5 minutes played. A round of boos from the home fans greets the announcement.
89'
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Maurits Kjærgaard
Mohamed Camara
88'
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DENIED BY CASTEELS
The Wolfsburg keeper is once again up to the challenge of a Salzburg attack. This time the ball came to Rasmus Kristensen, who directs his shot straight at the keeper.
87'
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Andreas Ulmer
83'
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Lukas Nmecha
85'
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NEARLY AN EQUALIZER!
Substitute Benjamin Sesko tries his luck from a long way out, and, were it not for an outstretched Casteels, would have scored an absolute screamer.
82'
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Kevin Mbabu
Aster Vranckx
82'
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ATTACK BREAKS DOWN
Brenden Aaronson takes a snapshot from just inside the area, but it's well wide of the mark. We're in the closing stages; is panic creeping into Salzburg?
77'
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Chukwubuike Adamu
Luka Sucic
77'
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Oumar Solet
Jerome Onguene
74'
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TRYING IT FROM RANGE
Aster Vranckx tries his luck from 30 yards out and forces a save from Köhn. Is a third Wolfsburg goal in the offing?
73'
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Jérôme Roussillon
Yannick Gerhardt
73'
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Renato Steffen
Paulo Otávio
68'
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John Anthony Brooks
65'
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NMECHA ALMOST AT THE DOUBLE
Lukas Nmecha looks like he means to add to his goal tally in a hurry. A Wolfsburg counter gets the ball back at his feet, but this time he fires just wide.
63'
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Benjamin Sesko
Karim Adeyemi
63'
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Dodi Lukébakio
Wout Weghorst
60'
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OUT OF NOTHING
Wolfsburg had been finding it difficult to get attacks together, but Lukas Nmecha has them in front. The forward takes a touch to settle the ball down and then puts his laces through it to send a rocket into the roof of the net.
53'
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SALZBURG LOOKING DANGEROUS
Noah Okafor gets the shot off at the end of a flowing move through the Wolfsburg defense, but Casteels is equal to it and keeps the scores level.
50'
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LIGHTNING COUNTER!
Karim Adeyemi nearly gives Salzburg an early second-half lead after Salzburg break from their penalty area the full length of the pitch. The forward is through, but pokes the ball just wide, leaving the home fans to breathe a sigh of relief.
46'
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WE'RE BACK!
The second half is underway. Neither side has made changes at the break.
28'
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Wout Weghorst
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HALF TIME!
The whistle goes and the first half is history. It's as you were at the break with both teams looking lively.
45'
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ONE MINUTE OF ADDED TIME
The game has been fairly open and only one extra minute will be played.
43'
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PRESS! PRESS! PRESS!
As half-time approaches, Wolfsburg are pushing Salzburg every time they have the ball. The men in green seem determined to get back in front before they return to the dressing room.
40'
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OTAVIO LOOKING LIVELY
The left flank seems to be where Wolfsburg are having the most joy and Paulo Otavio is a big part of that. The left-back is constantly looking to drive forward and join the attack and could cause Salzburg problems all night.
35'
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LEAD NEARLY RESTORED!
Weghorst almost puts Wolfsburg back in front as he stretches to get onto a cross from Yannick Gerhardt from the left that evaded everyone in the Salzburg box.
32'
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ALL SQUARE
Salzburg were always going to be dangerous from set pieces and their equalizer was well deserved. Wöber struck the ball neatly, sending it up and over the wall and curling just inside the upright
30'
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EQUALIZER!
Casteels manages to get a hand to it, but RB Salzburg are back on level terms thanks to an excellent Maximilian Wöber free-kick
25'
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WEGHORST NEARLY THROUGH ON GOAL!
Wolfsburg get the ball up the right flank and send it into space for forward Wout Weghorst to run onto. The Netherlands international does well, but the ball is just a bit too far out of reach.
22'
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SALZBURG IN POSSESSION
The visitors have slightly more of the ball, but they still can't get past the Wolfsburg defenders to make that possession count.
15'
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GOING THROUGH THE GEARS
The match has settled down a bit from its frenetic starting pace. Both teams are now feeling each other out and looking for a way through to goal.
11'
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WOLFSBURG COOL AND COLLECTED
The home side have done well to ride out the pressure put on them and look assured when they don't have the ball. When Salzburg attacks break down, the Wolves are ready to pounce.
9'
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CORNER; PRESSURE'S ON
Wolfsburg now have a corner to defend...
9'
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FREE-KICK DOWN THE RIGHT
Salzburg have a free-kick in a dangerous position near the Wolfsburg goal. Can they make this count?
3'
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THE WOLVES HAVE THE EARLY LEAD!
The stadium erupts as Baku puts the ball in the net after excellent work down the left.
1'
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HERE WE GO!
The ball is rolling and the action has started!
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ALMOST KICK-OFF!
The teams are in the tunnel and we are almost underway!
123s
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WATCH: LEVERKUSEN 0-2 WOLFSBURG
Wolfsburg snapped an eight-game winless streak to give Kohfeldt a winning start in charge, with goals from Lukas Nmecha and Maximilian Arnold doing the job against Leverkusen at the weekend.
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THE STORY SO FAR - GROUP G
Wolfsburg are bottom of the section on two points. Lille have also picked up a couple of points, with Sevilla one better off and Salzburg leading the way with seven. The Austrians will qualify for the last 16 for the first time with a win today. However, the Wolves are unbeaten in six home Champions League matches, dating back to 2015, winning five.
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MORE ON THOSE TEAMS - WOLFSBURG
New Wolfsburg head coach Florian Kohfeldt makes two changes to the team that won 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen on his debut. Paulo Otavio replaces Renato Steffen, while Wout Weghorst returns in place of Maxi Philipp.
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MORE ON THOSE TEAMS - SALZBURG
Salzburg head coach Matthias Jaissle, who spent his playing career at Hoffenheim, names the same same side that won the reverse fixture 3-1. That means coveted Germany international Karim Adeyemi, 19, leads the line once again.
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WOLFSBURG STARTING LINE-UP
Casteels (c) - Lacroix, Guilavogui, Brooks - Baku, Vranckx, Arnold, Otavio - L. Nmecha, Weghorst, Gerhardt