Wolfsburg's Wimmer strikes late to deny Union Berlin

Wolfsburg 1-1 Union
Goals: 0-1 Juranovic 72' (pen.), 1-1 Wimmer 84' (assist: Paredes)

Sandwiched in between a Europa League eliminator against Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, the visitors were keen to reignite their Bundesliga title push after going three top-flight games without a win. Yet, amid the cold-evening air of Lower Saxony, it was Wolfsburg who went closest to opening the scoring in the game's early stages. With the Wolves’ captain and set-piece specialist Maxi Arnold suspended for this one, Mattias Svanberg assumed his side’s dead-ball duties. The Swede’s sumptuous strike from a free-kick in the 16th minute looked in all the way, until the crossbar intervened to save Urs Fischer’s men. Sheraldo Becker and Aissa Laidouni kept Koen Casteels busy with a couple of testing shots at the other end while the home fans had heads in hands when Omar Marmoush could only steer wide when played clean through on goal shortly before the interval.

Wolfsburg have endured something of a roller-coaster campaign to date but they did begin the day within range of the European spots. Yannick Gerhardt provided the ambition and pace required to open the game up when providing an inviting near-post cross to the prowling Marmoush. The striker’s well-directed header was on target but drew a fine one-handed stop from Frederik Rönnow. As the half progressed, a stalemate seemed the likelier outcome. When Joshua Guilavogui inadvertently trod on Laidouni’s foot inside the Wolfsburg box, however, Union were awarded a golden chance from the spot. His team’s hero in European competition of late, Juranovic slammed the subsequent spot kick straight down the middle for his first Bundesliga goal. When Rönnow then frustrated Marmoush one more time, Union appeared headed back into the division’s top three. However, after coach Niko Kovac made a quadruple substitution, two of them combined to deny the capital club, Kevin Paredes teeing up Wimmer whose outside of the boot swipe took a slight deflection before rolling in.

• Wimmer has netted his third Bundesliga goal of the campaign, a peronal best for the attacker.
• With 43 goals this season, the Wolves have matched their total for the entire 2021/22 campaign.
• Union scored for the first time in Wolfsburg.
• Wolfsburg have now hit the woodwork eight times this season.
• Juranovic is off the mark for Union after his fifth Bundesliga game.
• Yannick Gerhardt, made his 200th competitive appearance for Wolfsburg and has a team-leading six goals after 24 games.

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Wolfsburg: Casteels (c) - Fischer (Paredes 82'), Bornauw, Van de Ven, Otavio (Kaminski 81') - F. Nmecha, Guilavogui, Gerhardt (Baku 81') - Svanberg (Wimmer 82'), Wind (L. Nmecha 64'), Marmoush
Unused subs: Pervan, Cozza, Lacroix, Waldschmidt
Out: Arnold (suspended), Franjic (muscular), Lacroix (bruised knee)
Coach: Niko Kovac

Union: Ronnow - Doekhi (Baumgartl 63'), Knoche, Leite - Juranovic, Laidouni (Haberer 77'), Khedira (c) (Seguin 63'), Thorsby, Gießelmann (Roussillon 62') - Michel, Becker (Behrens 85')
Unused subs: Grill, Trimmel, Leweling, Jordan
Out: Schäfer (foot)
Coach: Urs Fischer