Hard-fought victory after difficult week: Why Wolfsburg win is worth more than three points

Two completely different halves, an outstanding Jonas Urbig between the posts and a wonder goal from Michael Olise – thanks to an ultimately deserved 1-0 win against a spirited VfL Wolfsburg side on Saturday evening, FC Bayern will finish this Bundesliga season without defeat on the road. But the narrow success against the relegation-threatened Wolves, just four days after the bitter Champions League elimination, was a huge effort for the German champions. “It started from scratch again today. It’s clear that Wednesday hurt a lot, but we don’t need to dwell on that or feel sorry for ourselves, it goes on,” commented Urbig.

Urbig? ‘Amazing!’

Bayern settled into the game well in the first half, had significantly more of the ball, but became increasingly exposed to losses of possession in midfield. Bayern’s play looked hectic, untidy and error-prone. “We started well but lost our patience,” acknowledged coach Vincent Kompany. Wolfsburg, who started the season with a strong squad and ambitions of qualifying for Europe, countered with purpose, speed and danger.

Urbig was called into action several times in the early stages and repeatedly frustrated the hosts with rapid reflexes. The 22-year-old even rescued teammate Leon Goretzka, who inadvertently deflected the ball towards his own goal at one point. “Ulle (Sven Ulreich) and Manu (Manuel Neuer) came up to me straight after the game and congratulated me on my performance, which made me really happy,” revealed Urbig, after ensuring that Bayern kept their first clean sheet in four league games. Tom Bischof also praised his goalkeeper: “The way he deputises for Manu when he gets the chance is amazing.”

That kept the visitors in the game, which on the surface they were also dominating. And they also had the big opportunity to take the lead, when Bischof struck the bar with a shot from a corner. Shortly after that, Olise was fouled in the penalty area, but Harry Kane missed a penalty in the Bundesliga for the first time following 24 succesful spot-kicks. The England international crucially lost his footing with his standing leg as he took the kick, with television images revealing that a Wolfsburg player had done some “work” to the penalty spot with his studs. “It’s all on the line for Wolfsburg, so I’m not angry that someone manipulated the penalty spot,” said Urbig. “It’s about survival, they gave it everything and played really well, so I can let that slide.” His coach took a similar view: “What do you expect the players to do, just go down without a fight? That’s not possible.”

Exciting, tense, gripping

It therefore remained a gripping contest at the sold-out Volkswagen Arena. The home side didn’t play like a team on the brink of relegation and produced perhaps their best performance of the season. Bayern particularly struggled with the Wolves’ aggression – 15 attempts on goal in the first half was a season best for the hosts, and also the most shots on goal against Bayern by any team this term. 

Kompany reacted at the break by bringing on Konrad Laimer and Dayot Upamecano, two players who started against Paris in midweek, in place of Minjae Kim and Leon Goretzka, who had both picked up knocks. The balance of play immediately shifted: Bayern opened up crucial spaces, contained Wolfsburg’s counter attempts and thus increasingly gained confidence and control of the match. The ball moved more fluidly, accurately and smoothly. “We had the moments today where it could’ve swung in our favour,” bemoaned VfL head coach Dieter Hecking. “Eventually against Bayern you’re going to have a period in which you have to suffer. Unfortunately, we conceded the goal in that period.”

In the 57th minute, everyone knew what was coming when Olise received the ball from Laimer on the right wing and cut inside along the edge of the box. With his magic left foot, the France international whipped the ball beautifully into the top corner of the net off the underside of the bar to make it 1-0 – a dagger to Wolfsburg hearts and the Reds’ 117th goal of the campaign.

Game of two halves

FCB’s growing dominance and now the goal clearly knocked the wind out of the hosts, who have not come from 1-0 down to win any match this season. “When you score nearly 120 goals, everyone thinks it flies in automatically up front. That’s not true. We have to wait until the legs tire and then you get spaces,” explained Kompany following the final whistle.

The shot statistics in the first half surprisingly read 15-5 in favour of Wolfsburg; that was completely reversed after half-time. Ten attempts to zero and 21 touches in the opposition box to one reflected the champions’ overwhelming dominance. “We didn't have it easy at all, we have to respect that they went toe-to-toe with us,” assessed Kompany. “We shouldn’t be surprised when it gets a bit dirty – Wolfsburg are fighting for their lives, we have to respect that. Coming out in the second half and winning again is not easy. We have to appreciate that!”

But the Wolves had one more big moment before the end of the match. After some carelesness in the Bayern defence, substitute Mattias Svanberg was suddenly completely free on goal, but Urbig came out quickly to close the angle and the Swede’s low shot rebounded against the post. It was the dramatic finale to a thrilling encounter, in which the Bavarians managed to prove that they’re already looking ahead after being knocked out in Europe.