Wolfsburg 2-1 Schalke
If every Bundesliga game would be as dramatic and controversial as this opening-day tie between Wolfsburg and Schalke, the German top flight is definitely the football league to watch!
Plenty of SBOBET predictions — including mine — tipped the previous season’s runners-up to pull a narrow victory against a Wolfsburg team that barely escaped the drop to the 2. Bundesliga last May. However, it seems like the tables were turned as the Wolves played fantastic football against the Royal Blues.
Schalke had to rely on tough football to get the hosts off-track, but late drama ensured that the three points stayed in Wolfsburg.
Highlights of the game
Wolfsburg vs Schalke betting tips were a bit difficult to navigate ahead of the game as both sides looked to be equal in quality. The first twenty minutes of the game saw both sides trading blows as they tried to establish their pace and dominate the match.
Wolfsburg then put on a dangerous attempt in the 22nd minute. William, who got carded early in the game, fired a good strike after getting a free kick. However, he found his shot stopped by Ralf Fahrmann. The 29-year-old pulled off a world-class save to push the ball out of play. The corner the Wolves got didn’t result in anything significant.
Wolfsburg began gaining momentum as the first half wore on, and they were soon able to find the back of the net in the 33rd minute. Maximilian Arnold fired a corner, and the Schalke defence scrambled to keep the green shirts in the middle of the penalty box at bay.
However, the ball went to the far post and went straight to the unguarded John Brooks. The American then headed the ball into the goal, beyond Fahrmann’s outstretched hands.
Schalke tried to get even immediately, starting an attack at the left part of the pitch. The ball was crossed and immediately headed towards the goal, but Koen Casteels made a superb save to stop the equaliser.
Schalke then tried to force the draw and hit the Wolfsburg defence by surprise, but the defence performed well. Meanwhile, the hosts were connecting more of their passes, playing beautiful possession football.
The second half started with Schalke mounting aggressive attacks to start the half on the right foot, but Wolfsburg’s defence denied any easy opportunities for their guests. Meanwhile, Wout Weghorst almost doubled the lead with a dangerous header in the 56th minute.
The game then went off the rails after a streak of rough plays from both sides saw referee Patrick Ittrich put his cards to use. Guido Burgstaller was slapped with a yellow card for roughhousing. Former Manchester City man Matija Nastasic made a hard foul that warranted an instant red. Wout Weghorst was initially given a red for his unsportsmanlike behaviour, but the VAR showed that he only reacted to Burgstaller’s push on him; he was slapped with a yellow card instead.
Schalke finally had a chance to equalise in the 79th minute after the Wolfsburg defence fouled hard close to the danger zone. Naldo fired the free kick, but the ball hit Renato Steffen instead and flew out of the pitch.
Their attack didn’t end there. They dispossessed Wolfsburg and mounted a lightning-quick counter. The attack saw Breel Embolo with the ball and put in a powerful strike for the equaliser. Casteels managed to push it away for the corner.
The subsequent corner was as equally chaotic. Casteels had to pull off another brilliant save, but Brooks made a horrible foul in the process. Ittrich pulled out his red card once more and pointed to the spot. Nabil Bentaleb took the spot-kick, and Casteel could not pull off another save as they finally equalised in the 86th minute.
When it seemed like the game would end in a draw, Wolfsburg got the winner at the death. A beautiful lob pass saw Yannick Gerhardt with the ball and try a strike. Fahrmann did well to run out of his line and save it, but Daniel Ginczek was there to grab the rebound and slot the ball in an empty net.
Key Statistics
Wolfsburg dominated the game more than what the final score implies. They had almost 60% of the time with the ball and made 10 shot attempts with seven of those on goal. They connected 324 of their 432 passes while playing beautiful possession football. It seemed like Kaylen Hind’s absence wasn’t a complete loss for the Wolves at all.
Ittrich pulled out his cards an astonishing nine times throughout the game as both teams got heated in the second half. While it seemed like the Miners were the more physical side, the Wolves actually got more fouls and yellow cards than their opponents.
Schalke’s defence has to tighten up after Fahrmann had to make five saves. If they don’t sort out their defensive issues, they might not repeat their impressive run last year when they won 47% of their away games.
What’s next?
Counting the preseason and the DFB Pokal, Wolfsburg’s winning streak is now up to four. They will hope to extend their streak against a strong Bayer Leverkusen side that finished fifth last season. There will likely be a trove of Bundesliga 2018 highlights in this game as well.
Meanwhile, Schalke’s defensive problems in this game mean that the acquisition of Sebastian Rudy is a must. It isn’t known if the transfer will be completed before the end of the window and their upcoming clash with Hertha Berlin, but Domenico Tedesco must have it done as soon as possible.
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