Leverkusen's clinical masterclass: Wolfsburg left helpless in one-sided affair

À Voir Score Futmetrix: 57/100. A chasm in class opened at Volkswagen Arena as Bayer Leverkusen executed a flawless tactical blueprint, leaving Wolfsburg chasing shadows in a match that was decided before half-time.

The early knockout punch

Nine minutes. That's all Jonas Hofmann needed to set the tone. With Álex Grimaldo's assist, the midfielder struck first and signalled to Wolfsburg that this would be no ordinary afternoon. The intensity was suffocating from the start. Maximilian Arnold laboured to create space with four key passes, but Leverkusen controlled the pitch with the authority of a side operating on another level entirely. Edmond Tapsoba doubled the lead in the 24th minute before Florian Tillman hammered home a third in the 33rd—a demolition job executed with ruthless efficiency.

Wolfsburg's desperate siege

What unfolded next was a paradox of modern football: Wolfsburg unleashed 21 shots—three times Leverkusen's tally—yet the balance of the contest was already shattered. Their pressure arrived too late and lacked cutting edge. Dionis Vavro pulled one back in minute 57 after Arnold's incisive pass, a consolation that merely delayed the inevitable. Then came the VAR twist in minute 63: Jonas Wind's goal was ruled out, extinguishing any lingering hope of a comeback. Mark Flekken, Leverkusen's goalkeeper, stood monumental: nine saves from a barrage of attempts proved the Werkself's dominance extended beyond attack into an unshakeable defensive wall.

The table tells the story

This result deepens Wolfsburg's relegation crisis (15th place, just 8 points from 11 matches), while Leverkusen consolidates third with 23 points. The stakes in this encounter lay not in suspense but in an unforgiving exhibition of quality.