Wolfsburg have produced one of the shocks of the season by beating Bayern Munich 4-1 in their Bundesliga clash this evening.
The Wolves took the lead in the fourth minute when Bas Dost slid in from Kevin De Bruyne's pass.
On the stroke of half time Dost scored his second of the match, with a volley that found the top corner.
After the break, De Bruyne raced through on goal to score a fourth for the hosts, but Juan Bernat quickly replied with a finish from close range.
However, Bayern were unable to mount a comeback and De Bruyne fired into the roof of the net to seal the win.
Find out how the action unfolded below.
Good evening everyone! It's been six long weeks since Bundesliga fans were able to cheer their teams on, but the top flight of German football returns with a bang tonight. We should be in for some match too, as the league leaders Bayern Munich travel to second-placed Wolfsburg!
Pep Guardiola's side will be hoping to pick up right where they left off at the end of 2014. They are on a stunning eight-game winning run in the league and sit 11 eleven points clear at the top of the table. Should they extended that run this evening, then it really is impossible to see anybody catching them.
The excitement of entering the stadium for a @Bundesliga_EN game... #FCBayern have arrived! #packmas #WOBFCB pic.twitter.com/s72rpEkQPG
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) January 30, 2015
However, the home side will also come into this match in good form, having gone their last five league games unbeaten. A victory tonight may not entirely boost their hopes of winning the league, but it would leave them nine points clear of Bayer Leverkusen in second place and significantly enhance their Champions League prospects.
TEAM NEWS: Franck Ribery and Rafinha are both out injured for Bayern, but there is no shortage of big names starting tonight. Robert Lewandowksi, Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller are all in the attack, with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Xabi Alonso further back in the midfield. Meanwhile, the visitors have plenty of dangerous players of their own going forward, as Bas Dost leads the line, with support coming from Kevin De Bruyne and Ivan Perisic.
WOLFSBURG XI: Benaglio, Vieirinha, Naldo, Knoche, Rodriguez, Gustavo, Arnold, Caligiuri, De Bruyne, Perisic, Dost
BAYERN MUNICH XI: Neuer, Dante, Boateng, Alaba, Alonso Bernat, Rode, Schweinsteiger, Muller, Robben, Lewandowski
WOLFSBURG SUBS: Grun, Schafer, Klose, Seguin, Hunt, Jung, Bendtner
BAYERN MUNICH SUBS: Reina, Benatia, Badstuber, Gaudino, Gotze, Weiser, Pizarro
Based on the first half of the season, it does not seem to be a question of whether Bayern will win the title, but how long it will take for them to do it. Bayern won the league with a record seven matches to spare last time around and if they maintain their current form then a 25th Bunesliga title could be wrapped up even sooner.
As usual, @Manuel_Neuer is first out for the warm-up. The #FCBayern keeper greets the travelling faithful. 👏 #WOBFCB pic.twitter.com/zLXiPVrZsJ
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) January 30, 2015
Just a quick glance at the table is enough to leave you amazed at their achievements. They are still unbeaten and have won 14 of their 17 games so far. They have also scored a massive 41 goals and have conceded just four, which goes a long way to explaining Manuel Neuer's recent Ballon D'or nomination.
While everybody expects Bayern to romp to the title, there is still plenty to be decided elsewhere in the league. Hoping to mark a return to the Champions League is Wolfsburg, who have had a great start to the campaign. They are second in the table, having only lost three games and they are also going strong on the continent, with a Europa League last-32 clash against Sporting Lisbon to come in a few weeks.
PREDICTION: Right, with just a few minutes to go until kick off it's time for a quick prediction. It really is hard to look beyond Bayern this evening and although they are up against a very good Wolfsburg team, they should have enough to claim the three points. My tip is a 3-1 victory for the Bavarians, with Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski among the scorers.
The two teams are finally out on the pitch and it shouldn't be too long before the action begins.
Just before the kick off we are going to have a moment of applause for Junior Malanda, who sadly passed away earlier this month.
KICKOFF! We are underway at the Volkswagen Arena!
Bayern have made a strong start to the match and they seem eager to get their heads in front early on. They almost do score in the very first minute, as Robben cuts in from the right before firing a strike at goal, but Rodrigues does brilliantly to make a vital last-ditch block.
GOAL! Wolfsburg 1-0 Bayern Munich (Bas Dost)
What a start to this match! Wolfsburg break at pace and score from their first attack! De Bruyne is the creator as he gets in behind down the right, before squaring the ball for Dost, to slide a low shot into the bottom corner and past a stranded Neuer.
Since falling behind, Bayern have seen plenty of the ball, but the hosts are doing a great job of closing them down quickly. It's going to take some effort to stop the visitors from playing their passing game for the entire match.
CHANCE! Bayern win a free kick just outside the box and there are plenty of players standing over the ball. Schweinsteiger ends up taking it and he curls in a decent looking strike, but it is far too close to Benaglio who is able to hold on and make the save.
The visitors haven't really got going yet and they are playing a lot of long balls forward. There is also a lot of space down their flanks to exploit and it looks like Wolsfburg may get further joy from those positions.
CHANCE! This is the first really big opening for the hosts. Alonso whips a great corner into the box and the keeper comes and gets nowhere near the ball. It comes to Schweinsteiger who gets in a header, but he is unable to direct his effort on target as the hosts survive.
Bayern are really starting to crank up the pressure now and they are completely dominating the possession. They have seen more than 70% of the ball in these early stages and it really does seem like a matter of time until they seriously test Benaglio and his defence.
We haven't seen much of Wolfsburg as an attacking threat since the goal, but they are enjoying a decent spell in the Bayern half at the moment. It's vitally important that they don't just sit back and let Bayern play, as they have shown how good they can be going forward.
The hosts continue their good recent spell in the match and they are almost in again. Rode loses the ball cheaply to De Bruyne and the Belgian charges towards the box. He has Dost to the right of him and tries to slide him in, but his final pass is far too strong and the move ends up breaking down.
CHANCE! De Bruyne is involved in everything for Wolfsburg at the moment and he is freed down the left after latching onto a raking pass. He gets to the byline and drills in a low cross that Neuer can't get to, but neither can Arnold who is unable to stretch for the ball at the back post.
SHOT! Alaba can certainly strike a ball and he shows his threat here. The Austrian latches onto a clearance around 25 yards out from goal and hammers in a low strike, but Benaglio gets down well and manages to hold on.
SHOT! It's wide open at the moment and down the other end of the pitch De Bruyne threatens again. He comes in from the left and fires in a powerful shot from range, but the ball ends up swerving wide of the far post.
In the last few minutes Bayern have regained their dominance of the possession but they are still struggling to get in behind the defence. Wolfsburg's backline have been great so far this evening, but it only takes a moment for the likes of Robben to make the difference.
Boateng can consider himself slightly fortune not to have picked up a booking here. He charges towards the halfway line to get in front of De Bruyne, but ends up smashing right into the back of the Belgian international, who is then left in a heap on the floor.
I just spoke about Robben and the Dutchman almost unlocks the defence. He bursts towards the edge of the box, before slipping a ball through to Muller. The German then looks to pull the ball back across goal, but once again the hosts clear.
CHANCE! This could turn out to be a huge moment in the game as the hosts blow the chance to go two goals up. Dost is picked out in the middle by a wonderful pass by Caligiuri, but with Neuer rushing out off his line, he can only scuff a shot wide of the post. Will that come back to haunt his team?
YELLOW CARDS! Bayern are starting to get frustrated now and they feel that everything is going against them. Their feelings end up boiling over and a scuffle between both sets of players ensues on the halfway line. The referee steps in and manages to sort it out, with Arnold and Alonso both picking up cards.
We are going to have one minute of time added on at the end of this first half.
GOAL! Wolfsburg 2-0 Bayern Munich (Bas Dost)
Dost may have missed a good chance a few moments ago, but he has just scored a stunning goal here to put Wolfsburg 2-0 up at the break! A free kick is cleared to him just outside the box and he ends up firing a wonderful volley right into the top corner. There was no chance of Neuer stopping that and it means that Bayern have it all to do in the second half!
HALF-TIME: Wolfsburg 2-0 Bayern Munich
Wow! I need to take a breath as that was some half of football. The Bundesliga has certainly returned with a bang following the winter break and remarkably it's Wolfsburg who are ahead against the champions. Bayern had only conceded four goals this season, but two fine efforts from Dorst means that their unbeaten run could be coming to an end.
The statistics at the break really don't sum up just how good Wolfsburg have been. As you would expect, Bayern have dominated the possession, having seen 67% of the ball. The Bavarians have also had six shots on goal compared to five from the hosts, but none of those efforts were really any problem for the keeper.
It really has been a great half for the Wolves and their two-goal hero Bas Dost. He had only scored a couple of goals in the league this season before tonight, so it is quite remarkable that he has now doubled that tally against the world's best goalkeeper.
@Bundesliga_EN And a happy sight for @VfLWolfsburg_EN as Bas Dost slots past Manuel Neuer to take the lead! #WOBFCB pic.twitter.com/gGT2vO2Mkk
— Bundesliga (@Bundesliga_EN) January 30, 2015
I'm sure that Wolfsburg manager Dieter Hecking will not be getting too carried away by his team's first-half display. They have played well this evening, but they will surely be in for a tough 45 minutes against a team of Bayern's outstanding quality.
Bayern take the kick off for the second half and get the match back underway!
YELLOW CARD! Bayern are looking fired up, but they pick up another booking when Schweinsteiger goes in strongly on the back of De Bruyne. The Belgian has been on the end of quite a few poor challenges this evening.
CHANCE! It really could have been all over, as Wolfsburg miss the chance to open up a three-goal lead. Perisic whips in a great cross from the left that ends up falling for Caligiuri at the back post, but the midfielder gets his shot all wrong and mishits the ball wide of the target.
SUBSTITUTION: It's a first change of the match for Bayern, with Weiser coming on for Rode.
GOAL! Wolfsburg 3-0 Bayern Munich (Kevin De Bruyne)
What a story we have got here, as the hosts score their third goal of the evening! De Bruyne has been brilliant tonight and he races clean through on goal from his own half to latch onto Arnold's pass, before showing great composure to slide a shot into the corner past Neuer.
GOAL! Wolfsburg 3-1 Bayern Munich (Juan Bernat)
Is this the start of a great Bayern comeback? The visitors are right back in the game as Bernat charges into the box seeing his effort closed down by Naldo. However, the Brazilian ends up clearing the ball into the path of Bernat, who has the simple task of finishing into a gaping goal from close range.
We are surely going to be in for an incredible ending to his match. Bayern have cranked it up a gear and they are pouring everyone forward at the moment. It's going to be a huge task for Wolfsburg to keep them out again and they will certainly have to defend better than they just did for Bernat's goal.
CHANCE! Bayern may be doing all of the pressing, but the hosts almost catch them on the break as Vieirinha stands up a cross to the back post for Dost. The Dutchman then powers in a header, but it is straight at Neuer who comfortably holds on.
SHOT! Wolfsburg are still posing a great threat and De Bruyne is heavily involved once more. The Belgian breaks from inside his own half and the ball is eventually played played to Arnold on the edge of the box. He then fires in a decent looking effort, but Neuer is quickly across his goal to make the stop.
SHOT! Yet again it's another attempt on goal from the hosts. Following a quick break, Gustavo is found around 20 yards out from goal. The Brazilian then lashes in a powerful low strike that heads narrowly wide of the post.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Bayern make a double change, with Gotze and Pizarro coming on for Muller and Lewandowski.
GOAL! Wolfsburg 4-1 Bayern Munich (Kevin De Bruyne)
This is simply unbelievable! Just moments after Robben forces Benaglio into a great save from his free kick, Wolfsburg break down the other end and score a fourth! The impressive De Bruyne breaks clear and only Dante is back to defend. He then gets into the box and shifts the ball onto his left foot, before rifling in a strike that takes a slight deflection and finds the top corner with Neuer beaten once more.
It has been an outstanding performance by Wolfsburg and what makes it even more amazing, is that Bayern had only conceded four goals in the league this season before tonight. The Bavarians have been absolutely ripped apart, with the world's best keeper left helpless for each goal.
PENALTY APPEAL! Bayern should probably have a spot kick after Naldo heads the ball onto his own hand. The referee was in a great position to give it, but he is unmoved by the appeals from the visitors.
SUBSTITUTION: The hosts make their first change of the match, with Schafer replacing Perisic.
CHANCE! Bayern have a great opportunity to pull a goal back when Robben is slid though on goal and has just the keeper to beat. However, Benaglio stands tall and makes a great block to deny the Dutchman.
SUBSTITUTION: There will be no hat-trick for Dost, as he is given a rest for the final seven minutes, with Bendtner coming on to replace him.
CHANCE! I'm not quite sure how Pizarro hasn't scored from here. He is just a few yards out when Bernat's low ball across the box finds him, but he ends up lifting the ball over the bar.
SUBSTITUTION: It's a final change for the hosts, as Hunt comes on for Caligiuri.
We are going to have just two minutes of stoppage time.
YELLOW CARD! Gustavo picks up a late booking for a poor foul from behind on Gotze.
FULL-TIME: Wolfsburg 4-1 Bayern Munich
It's all over and a remarkable game of football has come to an end. Wolfsburg have stunned Bayern, with a brilliant display of counter-attacking football, to claim a 4-1 win that has ended the visitors' unbeaten run. It's no less than they deserve and it has moved them to within eight points of the league leaders in the table.
That certainly wasn't the return to Bundesliga action that Pep Guardiola was expecting and he will be bitterly disappointed at how his team defended. They were torn to shreds by a vibrant Wolfsburg attack, with Kevin De Bruyne the standout player on the night.
Sadly that's all we have time for, after a great night of German football. Don't worry though, as we'll have plenty more live coverage throughout the weekend for you to enjoy. Until then, goodbye!
Written by
Alex Meyers
Alex Meyers
