VfL Wolfsburg’s struggles at home continued as their winless streak at the Volkswagen Arena stretched to 15 matches following a 3-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.
The result also extended Leverkusen’s unbeaten run in Bundesliga head-to-head clashes against Wolfsburg to eight games.
Under Kasper Hjulmand, only Bayern Munich have collected more points than Leverkusen in their first eight fixtures, and the visitors carried that momentum into Wolfsburg.
After scoring five goals against Heidenheim before the international break, Leverkusen were ruthless once again, netting three in the first half here.
The visitors drew first blood inside 10 minutes. A slick combination down the left between Ernest Poku and Alejandro Grimaldo set up the Spaniard to deliver a precise cutback, which Jonas Hofmann finished into the far corner for his second goal in as many matches.
Wolfsburg responded but couldn’t find the breakthrough. Lovro Majer’s long-range effort was tipped onto the post by Mark Flekken, and Leverkusen punished their hosts’ inability to convert.
Edmond Tapsoba rose highest to meet Aleix Garcia’s brilliant cross and head home, and the deficit grew just minutes later when Malik Tillman beat the offside trap to slot past Kamil Grabara, giving Die Werkself a commanding three-goal lead.
Interim coach Daniel Bauer faced plenty to think about at halftime, particularly Wolfsburg’s inefficiency in front of goal.
Despite dispossessing Ibrahim Maza and seeing Majer denied by Flekken, the hosts remained off the mark.
After the break, Wolfsburg continued to press. Flekken made crucial stops from Konstantinos Koulierakis and Dzenan Pejcinovic, and Mohamed Amoura’s volley went narrowly wide. Their persistence finally paid off when Denis Vavro, making his season debut, powered home a header from Maximilian Arnold’s corner.
Leverkusen nearly restored their three-goal cushion when Poku squandered a clear chance, and Wolfsburg thought they had made it 3-2 when Jonas Wind scored seconds after coming off the bench, only for the goal to be ruled out for the slimmest of offsides.
The hosts continued to press, with Flekken denying Arnold’s long-range strike and Wind’s fierce volley.
In the end, Leverkusen’s composure saw them secure all three points, moving up to second in the Bundesliga, while Wolfsburg’s woes deepen.
The defeat marks their fourth in succession across all competitions and leaves the team in danger of slipping into the relegation zone.
