VfL Wolfsburg 1-3 Bayer 04 Leverkusen: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Bwin’s post-match review of VfL Wolfsburg 1-3 Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the Bundesliga on Saturday, 22 November 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen started strongly at the Volkswagen Arena, taking control early on with Jonas Hofmann finding the net in the 9th minute after a precise assist from Alejandro Grimaldo, setting the tone for their dominant first half. Edmond Tapsoba doubled the lead in the 24th minute, courtesy of an assist from Aleix Garcia, before Malik Tillman added a third in the 33rd minute with Patrik Schick providing the setup, leaving VfL Wolfsburg trailing significantly at the break. Both sides made changes at half-time, with Wolfsburg bringing on Konstantinos Koulierakis for Julian Seelt and Leverkusen introducing Joel Quansah for Ianis Maza, but the hosts struggled to mount a comeback despite their efforts.

In the second half, VfL Wolfsburg pulled one back through Denis Vavro in the 57th minute, assisted by Maximilian Arnold, offering a glimmer of hope as they pushed forward. The Wolves made a triple substitution in the 61st minute, with Mattias Svanberg, Christian Eriksen, and Jonas Wind coming on for Patrick Wimmer, Yannick Gerhardt, and Dženan Pejčinović respectively, aiming to inject energy into their attack. Leverkusen managed the game well, making further changes including Martin Terrier for Malik Tillman in the 64th minute and a double switch in the 75th minute with Jeanuël Belocian and Charles M. Kofane replacing Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick, before Nordi Mukiele came on for Exequiel Palacios in the 86th minute, securing a comfortable 3-1 victory.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen dominated possession with 62% compared to VfL Wolfsburg's 38%, allowing them to dictate the tempo and create more scoring opportunities, which ultimately contributed to their convincing win. Wolfsburg edged the corner count 9-1, indicating some set-piece threat, but their 67 successful dribbles against Leverkusen's 41 highlighted individual flair that wasn't enough to break down the visitors' defence effectively. Both teams utilised all five substitutions, with Wolfsburg making a key triple change at 61' where Mattias Svanberg replaced Patrick Wimmer, Christian Eriksen came on for Yannick Gerhardt, and Jonas Wind took the place of Dženan Pejčinović, while Leverkusen spread their changes including Nordi Mukiele replacing Exequiel Palacios at 86', helping maintain freshness; assists favoured Leverkusen 3-1, reflecting their sharper finishing, and yellow cards were issued twice to Wolfsburg and once to Leverkusen, adding tension without escalating to reds.

The lack of penalties or injury-time goals meant the match was decided in regular play, with Leverkusen's early efficiency proving decisive despite Wolfsburg's attempts to rally through their substitutions and dribbling prowess.

The match's decisive moments came early as Bayer 04 Leverkusen surged ahead with three first-half goals: Jonas Hofmann's strike in the 9th minute, Edmond Tapsoba's header in the 24th minute, and Malik Tillman's finish in the 33rd minute, establishing a commanding lead that Wolfsburg found hard to overturn. A turning point arrived in the 57th minute when Denis Vavro scored for Wolfsburg, reducing the deficit and sparking a brief resurgence, though it wasn't enough. Impact substitutions included Wolfsburg's triple switch at 61' where Patrick Wimmer made way for Mattias Svanberg, Yannick Gerhardt was replaced by Christian Eriksen, and Dženan Pejčinović came off for Jonas Wind, while Leverkusen's changes, such as Martin Terrier replacing Malik Tillman at 64', helped them see out the game amid yellow cards to Dženan Pejčinović at 34', Mohamed Amoura at 40', and Robert Andrich at 76'.

VfL Wolfsburg lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with a solid defensive base allowing midfielders like Maximilian Arnold to orchestrate play and support the lone striker, while partnerships such as that between Denis Vavro and the backline provided resilience after the interval.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen deployed a 3-4-2-1 shape, enabling fluid wing-back play from the likes of Alejandro Grimaldo and a dynamic attacking duo behind Patrik Schick, with midfield partnerships involving Aleix Garcia and Robert Andrich offering control and creativity throughout.

Malik Tillman earned Man of the Match honours for his pivotal role in Bayer 04 Leverkusen's victory, scoring a crucial goal in the 33rd minute and contributing significantly to the team's attacking rhythm before being substituted in the 64th minute for Martin Terrier, his all-around performance including key involvements making him stand out in a dominant display.

Recent Bundesliga matches:

• Loss: 1-3 vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen (H)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Werder Bremen (A)
• Loss: 2-3 vs TSG Hoffenheim (H)
• Win: 1-0 vs Hamburger SV (A)
• Loss: 0-3 vs VfB Stuttgart (H)

Recent Bundesliga matches:

• Win: 3-1 vs VfL Wolfsburg (A)
• Win: 6-0 vs Heidenheim (H)
• Loss: 0-3 vs FC Bayern München (A)
• Win: 2-0 vs SC Freiburg (H)
• Win: 4-3 vs FSV Mainz 05 (A)

Sitting precariously in 15th place with just eight points, VfL Wolfsburg are in dire need of a turnaround after three consecutive defeats, including this 1-3 home loss to Leverkusen, and they’ll face a stern test against sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, who boast 20 points, in their next Bundesliga outing on 30 November at 16:30, where breaking their losing streak could be crucial for climbing away from the relegation zone.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen continue their impressive campaign in second place with 23 points, buoyed by back-to-back wins including this 3-1 triumph at Wolfsburg and a dominant 6-0 thrashing of Heidenheim, though a recent loss to Bayern München serves as a reminder of top-tier challenges; they shift focus to European action next, hosting Manchester City on 25 November at 20:00 in what promises to be a high-stakes encounter against elite opposition.

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