Foals turn game around to win 3-1 in Wolfsburg

In the final game of Matchday 28 in the Bundesliga, the Foals came back from 1-0 down at half time to win 3-1 at VfL Wolfsburg courtesy of goals from Ko Itakura, Nathan Ngoumou and Rocco Reitz.

In front of around 23,000 spectators at the Volkswagen-Arena, the Foals were handed a difficult blow early on when Ridle Baku scored from the hosts’ first chance of the game in the seventh minute. Borussia were though not deterred and created several good opportunities afterwards, but were missing a bit of composure at the final moment. The Foals made the perfect start to the second period and turned the game around inside five minutes. Ko Itakura equalised with a deflected strike from distance in the 53rd minute, before Nathan Ngoumou put Gladbach 2-1 ahead in the 58th after good work from Franck Honorat. Borussia then stayed in control of the game and created the better chances in the final phases. Rocco Reitz eventually wrapped the game up at 3-1 in the 88th minute.

TEAM NEWS

Head coach Gerardo Seoane made five changes to his starting eleven from the 3-0 home defeat to SC Freiburg last time out. Marvin Friedrich, Max Wöber, Stefan Lainer, Nathan Ngoumou and Alassane Plea started in place of Joe Scally, Rocco Reitz, Florian Neuhaus, Robin Hack and Jordan.

As well as Manu Koné (thigh strain), Florian Neuhaus (Achilles tendon problems), Tony Jantschke (adductor issues) and Christoph Kramer (illness) also missed out.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS

3’: First good attack from the Foals as Honorat tests Wolfsburg’s ‘keeper Pervan from a tight angle.

7’: The hosts make it 1-0 with their first chance of the game. Tiago Tomas plays the ball in from the right, and Baku hits it first time to find the bottom corner from around 13 yards out.

21’: Wöber heads Honorat’s corner towards goal. It goes just wide.

44’: Ngoumou is suddenly in on goal, but the 24-year-old misses the target.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS

53’: Borussia equalise! Itakura tries his luck from around 25 yards out and it takes a deflection off Jenz which wrong-foots the Wolfsburg goalkeeper and makes it 1-1.

 58’: The Foals complete the turnaround! Honorat speeds forward into the penalty area before finding Ngoumou, who strikes into the bottom right corner from around eight yards for 2-1.

74’: So nearly a third! Hack climbs highest to meet Reitz’s cross, but he heads against the bar.

88’: 3-1! And that’s the game! Čvančara cuts the ball back to Reitz, who on the turn places it precisely into the corner of the net.

STATISTICS

Wolfsburg: Pervan – Baku (Cerny 73’), Bornauw, Jenz, Maehle – Arnold, Gerhardt, Wimmer (Majer 57’), Svanberg, Tiago Tomas (Sarr 57’) – Wind (Behrens 73’) // Unused substitutes: Klinger, Fischer, Amoako, Kaminski, Vranckx

Borussia: Omlin – Lainer, Elvedi, Friedrich, Wöber, Netz (Scally 88’) – Weigl, Itakura (Reitz 70’), Honorat (Jordan 88’), Ngoumou (Hack 70’) – Plea (Čvančara 82’) // Unused substitutes: Nicolas, Chiarodia, Herrmann, Ranos

Goals: 1-0 Baku (7’.), 1-1 Itakura (53’), 1-2 Ngoumou (58’), 1-3 Reitz (88’)

Yellow cards: Bornauw, Wimmer – Hack, Omlin  

Attendance: 23,000

Referee: Bastian Dankert (Rostock)