Live Commentary: Gent 2-3 Wolfsburg - as it happened

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Gent 2-3 Wolfsburg - as it happened
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Both Gent and Wolfsburg were making their debuts in the Champions League last 16 in tonight's first leg at the Ghelamco Arena.

Gent are the first Belgian team to appear at this stage of the competition and they fell 3-0 down before fighting back and only losing 3-2 to give themselves an outside chance of progressing to the quarter-finals of Europe's elite competition.

Relive the end-to-end tie with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.

9.40pmBlimey, what an end to the game that was! Wolfsburg looked on course to cruise through to the quarter-finals having gone 3-0 up away from home in the first leg, but two late Gent goals means that it is very much tie on in three weeks' time. Thanks for joining SM this evening. Good night!

90+5 minFULL-TIME: GENT 2-3 WOLFSBURG

90+4 minGent want a penalty in the final minute of stoppage time, but a free kick is awarded the other way after Nielsen and Rodriguez tangled in the box. Good call by the Norwegian official.

90+2 minWOLFSBURG SUB: The visitors waste some time by taking off Kruse for Putaro.

90+1 minThree more minutes to go and Gent are pushing for an equaliser!

89 minWell, well, well! I said at 3-0 it was tie over, but I did not foresee a Wolfsburg collapse like this! Substitute Coulibaly stoops at the near post to meet Saief's cross and sneak a header home past Casteels. Dante let him get across to the near post far too easily.

89 minGOAL! GENT 2-3 WOLFSBURG (KALIFA COULIBALY)

86 minCLOSE! Where was this Gent team for the first 80 minutes? Saief this time with a shot that bends just wide of the target.

84 minSHOT! Dejaegre again winds up from distance and this time it definitely is on target. Casteels can't hold it but gets there at the second attempt before Coulibaly can pounce.

83 minSAVE! Another Gent goal would make it interesting! Casteels denies Dejaegre with a good low save, but the ball might have been going wide anyway.

80 minGent have a goal and it's their captain Kums who delivers, cutting in from the left before curling low into the far corner. Casteels got a glove to it, but he could not keep it out.

80 minGOAL! GENT 1-3 WOLFSBURG (SVEN KUMS)

80 minSUBS: A change from both teams, with Coulibaly on for Depoitre in attack for Gent and Schafer taking Vieirinha's place for Wolfsburg.

78 minSHOT! Asare strikes it well on the run, but it's straight at Casteels and an easy save for the Wolfsburg keeper.

77 minAnd both were such well-taken goals

76 minThe hosts' three-man backline has looked so shaky and Wolfsburg have really made them pay for their errors tonight.

74 minMitrovic again gives the ball away so sloppily. Schurrle got it off him, but this time Renato gets back to prevent what would have probably been a fourth Wolfsburg goal.

72 minThat goal for Kruse, by the way, ended a 10-game drought in all competitions for the striker.

68 minWith the tie surely now over, Gent need to be careful about getting embarrassed here. They did so well to qualify for the last 16 but in all honesty they have looked out of place tonight. Wolfsburg are the eighth-best team in Germany this season and look miles better than the Belgian champions.

64 minNo time for breath! From the resulting corner Arnold swings a boot at Mitrovic, but the ball was already out of play so the likelihood of getting a penalty there was slim.

63 minOFF THE BAR! Woodwork hit down the other end as well! Kums dribbled inside from the left and got into the box before his shot was deflected into the air and landed on the bar.

62 minOFF THE POST! So close to four! Kruse gets in down the right-hand side and curls one against the far upright.

61 minGENT SUBS: Changes straight away from the home side, with Thomas Matton and Kenneth Saief taking Simon and Milicevic's places.

60 minThat definitely is tie over! Gent, the first Belgian side to reach the Champions League last 16, are going out with a whimper as Kruse diverts Trasch's cross home with what looked like his left thigh. Not pretty, but Wolfsburg won't mind at all!

60 minGOAL! GENT 0-3 WOLFSBURG (MAX KRUSE)

59 minBOOKING! Gent's star-man Kums into the book for a foul on Vieirinha.

9pmUPDATE: News of a goal in Rome too as Cristiano Ronaldo, with the aid of a deflection, puts Real in front. Big goal.

53 minIs that tie over? Gent have been poor defensively tonight and again they are makers of their own downfall here. Renato gave the ball away cheaply to Draxler, who then nutmegged Mitrovic before dinking the ball delightfully over Sels.

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53 minGOAL! GENT 0-2 WOLFSBURG (JULIAN DRAXLER)

51 minBig roar from the home fans as Dejaegre's shot is deflected out for a corner. Simon is having quite a bit of joy against Vieirinha, especially as the Portuguese wideman is now in the book.

48 minBOOKING! Another yellow card for the home side as Vieirinha, now playing at right-back after Jung went off, joins Gustavo in the book.

48 minWolfsburg keeper Casteels, who did not have to make a first-half save, collects the ball from the resulting free kick and he pings it out to Schurrle on the break. The former Chelsea man looks for Kruse in the middle, but that's cut out by Mitrovic.

47 minBOOKING! First yellow card of the contest given to Wolfsburg midfielder Luiz Gustavo for bringing down Dejaegre. A free kick, yes, but a yellow is harsh there.

46 minKICKOFF! Back underway at the Ghelamco Arena and just like in the first half, Wolfsburg are on the front foot right from the word go as substitute Schurrle blazes over.

8.34pmIt's Wolfsburg who deservedly lead at the break then thanks to former Schalke man Draxler. It was a really well-worked goal from Hecking's men, who have that crucial away goal that they would targeted at kickoff. Gent have been second-best and must improve after the interval. Back soon for the second half!

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45+3 minHALF-TIME: GENT 0-1 WOLFSBURG

45+2 min

45+1 minWOLFSBURG SUB: The visitors are forced into a change as Jung goes off injured to be replaced by Schurrle.

44 minLovely stuff! Wolfsburg go in front and it is a fine, fine goal. This Gent defence has looked very vulnerable and Wolfsburg have just carved it open beautifully. Draxler beat his man with a neat turn on the touchline before feeding Vieirinha, who played it back to his teammate with a delightful pass. Draxler then coolly slotted home.

44 minGOAL! GENT 0-1 WOLFSBURG (JULIAN DRAXLER)

39 minGent go straight on the attack through Delpoitre and he beats one white shirt before being taken out by Dante right on the edge of the box. The referee says no free kick, but Dante did not get the ball and took out Delpoitre, so that should have been a free kick to the home side. Gent manager Vanhaezebrouck not a happy bunny.

38 minSAVE! Kruse beats the offside trap and cuts inside one defender on the right before curling for the far corner. Sels pushes it out, but only as far as Trasch, who cuts back for Draxler and his shot is blocked.

37 minMilicevic is Gent's set-piece specialist and he's just swung over a brilliant corner that Depoitre failed to make good contact with under pressure from about 10 yards.

34 minIt was such a good opening 25 minutes from Wolfsburg, but their manager Hecking might be a little worried that they failed to score during that dominant period. It's much more even now.

31 minDepoitre really is a beast in the Gent attack and Simon's inviting cross into the middle is almost met by the Belgian, but Dante eases him away from the ball cleverly.

8.13pmUPDATE: By the way, it's also still goalless in tonight's other game between Roma and Real Madrid.

25 minYou'd have to say that in the end Mitrovic did the right thing there. Although he almost scored an own goal, had he missed it then surely Kruse would have stuck it away.

24 minCLOSE! So close to the opener! Arnold outmuscles Asare to get into the box and his looped cross is begging to be headed home at the back post by Kruse. However, Mitrovic gets there first and it looks like he's going to score an own goal until Sels pushes it wide. Great save from his own teammate!

21 minGent play with three centre-backs and left-sider Dejaegere has to do more to get back and help in defence. The hosts are getting found out down that side so often. Vieirinha's latest cross is missed by Kruse and cleared by Nielsen at the back post.

20 minFrom the resulting corner Rodriguez cuts the ball back to the edge of the box where Arnold's shot at goal is deflected up and into the arms of Sels.

19 minLazy passing on two occasions from Gent hands Kruse a coupe of half-chances. He was tackled before he could get a shot off for the first, while his second attempt was deflected out.

18 minA couple of brighter moments from Gent the last couple of minutes and the home fans wanted a penalty when Jung's clearance hit teammate Vieirinha on the arm, but that was never going to be given.

15 minGent have to sort it out down their left-hand side. Right-back Jung is not being tracked when he gets forward and this time his low cross into the six-yard box is well defended by Mitrovic.

13 minWolfsburg respond but once again it's a shot off target as Arnold leans back and sends the ball high into the stand. The visitors are finding plenty of space down the wings and the right-hand side especially.

11 minCHANCE! First chance of the match for Gen as Depoitre does well at the back post to nod the ball into Foket's path. It sits up nicely for the Gent number 32, but he blazes it high over the bar.

8 minIt's all Wolfsburg at the moment as this time Draxler does a tidy step-over to get to the byline before his cross is cleared away by Nielsen.

8 minNow a free kick for Wolfsburg out on the left but that's awful from Vieirinha as he overhits his cross out of play.

5 minSHOT! Way too easy for Draxler to cut inside on the left-hand side of the box and his fierce drive whistles over the top. Not an easy chance, but he should be at least hitting the target with that much time.

4 minIt's been a good start from the visitors, with Vieirinha just curling over from the right but too far for his teammates in the middle.

1 minCHANCE! Nervy start from Gent as Mitrovic has the ball stolen high up the pitch by Arnold, who then looks for Kruse at the back post. Draxler gets to the ball first though and heads it tamely at Sels. Decent opportunity that.

0 minKICKOFF! Gent, in their hi-vis yellow kit tonight, get us underway.

7.44pmGent have three players - Asare, Foket and Depoitre - one booking away from a suspension. None of Wolfsburg's starting XI are on a similar tightrope, but Naldo is suspended for this one, remember.

7.42pmHere come the two teams out of the tunnel in front of a raucous crowd at the Ghelamco Arena. Tonight's officiating team leading them out is from Norway.

7.40pmSounds like Milicevic's nickname is 'The Archer'

7.37pmIf Gent find the net tonight, they will extend their scoring streak in the competition to seven straight games. Only five other sides scored in all six group games.

7.35pmPREDICTION: Ten minutes until we start, so here's my prediction. Last night I covered a real borefest between Benfica and Zenit and I'm hoping that these two having never played in the last 16 will see a little less fear. Hard to separate the two, though, so I'll say 2-2.

7.33pm

7.30pmGent, meanwhile, are level on points with Club Brugge at the top of the Belgian Pro League, but behind Brugge after losing earlier this month to their title rivals. They also suffered defeat to Brugge in the Cup on February 3, but were back to winning to winning ways on Friday with a 2-0 success over Mouscron-Peruwelz.

7.27pmWolfsburg have the advantage of playing the second leg at home and their squad has much more Champions League experience, but they have not been in the best form of late - their 2-0 home win over Ingolstadt in the Bundesliga on Saturday ended a seven-match winless streak in the league and they are eighth in the table after 21 games of the season, five points behind the top four.

7.24pmSTAT: Gent used 17 players in this season's group stages, fewer than any other team. Wolfsburg only used 18 players. Tight-knit squads on show tonight.

7.21pmWolfsburg qualified for the last 16 as Group B winners, defeating Manchester United in that crazy game on matchday six to finish top of the group and knock Louis van Gaal's side into the Europa League. Their two defeats in the group were both away from home and Gent will feel that they need a win tonight to have any chance of going through as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are the only two teams to have won in Wolfsburg this season.

7.18pmOut for the warm-up in Gent

7.17pmIn fact, all three of Gent's wins over Valencia, Lyon and Zenit were by one goal, so don't expect a convincing home win tonight, even though Wolfsburg are not in the best form coming in to this.

7.15pmLet's take a look at how these two teams reached the last 16 for the first time then. For Gent, it's quite a story. The club was in deep financial trouble not long ago, but after storming to the Belgian title last year, they won their last three Group H matches in a row, including a 2-1 success on matchday six over Zenit, who had won all five group games before that, to advance in second place behind the Russian side.

7.12pmSTAT: This will be Gent and Wolfsburg's first competitive encounter. The Belgian side have never beaten a German team on home soil in European competition and they have also failed to score in their last three home games against German opposition.

7.09pmFurther forward, there is no Bas Dost in the Wolfsburg attack due to a broken foot, so Max Kruse will be expected to score the goals. Julian Draxler is well known across Europe and is trying to fill the void left by Kevin De Bruyne out wide, while former Chelsea man Andre Schurrle is on the bench.

7.06pmAs for Wolfsburg, they have a big player missing in the heart of defence with Naldo suspended, so 23-year-old Robin Knoche get his Champions League debut at centre-back alongside Dante, who is making his 50th appearance in a UEFA competition tonight.

7.03pmKums is a midfielder but still Gent's top scorer this term and he might fancy his chances of finding the net tonight against a Wolfsburg side that have conceded three goals in each of their last three away games.

7.01pmRight then, who to look out for in those two sides? Well in Sven Kums, Gent have the Belgian Player of the Year, while teammates Laurent Depoitre and Danijel Milicevic came second and third in voting, such was the impressive nature of Gent's title win last season.

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6.59pmWOLFSBURG SUBS: Grun, Klinger, Schafer, Henrique, Schurrle, Azzaoui, Putaro

6.58pmWOLFSBURG XI: Casteels, Jung, Dante, Knoche, Rodriguez; Vieirinha, Trasch, Luiz Gustavo, Draxler; Arnold, Kruse

6.56pmGENT SUBS: Vandenbussche, Rafinha, Gershon, Matton, Coulibaly, Saief, Deaux

6.55pmGENT XI: Sels; Mitrovic, Asare, Nielsen; Renato Neto, Kums, Dejaegere, Foket, Milicevic; Depoitre, Simon

6.53pmTime for some team news from the Ghelamco Arena in Gent...

6.51pmAs mentioned, both Gent and Wolfsburg are in the last 16 for the first time and surely both would have been pretty happy with this draw. Gent could have got the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, while Wolfsburg avoided giants like PSG And Juventus even though they topped their group. Whoever goes through from the tie, they will become only the seventh side to win in the last 16 on their bow at this stage of the tournament.

6.49pmWe also have updates on tonight's other match between Roma and Real Madrid with Matt Law and if you want to follow that one as well then open this link in a new tab!

6.47pmEvening all! After last night's dramatic start to the Champions League, we're back with two more first legs tonight. Here it's all about Gent vs. Wolfsburg, a match between two teams that have never reached this stage of the competition before.
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