VfL Wolfsburg 3-4 SC Freiburg: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Bwin’s post-match review of VfL Wolfsburg 3-4 SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday, 20 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

SC Freiburg won 4-3 against VfL Wolfsburg in a thrilling Bundesliga encounter. The visitors took an early lead when Philipp Treu scored in the 5th minute, but Dzenan Pejcinovic equalised for Wolfsburg in the 13th, assisted by Patrick Wimmer. Wolfsburg then went ahead through another Pejcinovic goal in the 49th, building on their recent wins against Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Union Berlin, though Freiburg’s mixed form, including a heavy loss to Bayern München, suggested they could fight back.

The second half saw momentum shift as Vincenzo Grifo converted a penalty in the 56th to level the scores, before Pejcinovic completed his hat-trick in the 69th, again assisted by Wimmer. However, Jenson Seelt’s own goal in the 71st put Freiburg back on terms, and Derry Scherhant sealed the win with a 78th-minute strike assisted by Johan Manzambi. This result extended Wolfsburg’s inconsistent run, following a draw with Eintracht Frankfurt and a loss to Bayer Leverkusen, while Freiburg built on their recent draw with Borussia Dortmund and win over Mainz.

Wolfsburg held 56% possession compared to Freiburg’s 44%, allowing them to control much of the play and complete 45 successful dribbles against Freiburg’s 20, which highlighted their ability to break lines effectively. Despite this dominance, Freiburg were more clinical in attack, earning six corners to Wolfsburg’s two and converting one penalty out of one taken, while Wolfsburg had none. Both sides picked up one yellow card each, with no reds, and assists stood at two for Wolfsburg and one for Freiburg, reflecting the home side’s reliance on key creators.

Substitutions played a role in the game’s flow, with Wolfsburg making four changes: Mattias Svanberg replaced Lovro Majer in the 68th, Adam Daghim came on for Patrick Wimmer and Jesper Lindstrøm for Christian Eriksen both in the 80th, and Jan Bürger replaced Saël Kumbedi in the 88th. Freiburg used all five: Vincenzo Grifo replaced Patrick Osterhage at half-time in the 46th, Derry Scherhant came on for Philipp Treu in the 67th, Junior Adamu replaced Lucas Höler and Nicolas Höfler came on for Johan Manzambi both in the 79th, and Igor Matanovic replaced Yuito Suzuki in the 90+1st.

The match burst into life early with Philipp Treu’s 5th-minute goal for Freiburg, assisted by Yuito Suzuki, but Wolfsburg responded through Dzenan Pejcinovic’s strike in the 13th, set up by Patrick Wimmer. Pejcinovic added his second unassisted in the 49th to give Wolfsburg the lead, only for Vincenzo Grifo to equalise from the penalty spot in the 56th. The decisive phase came late, with Pejcinovic completing his hat-trick in the 69th via another Wimmer assist, before Jenson Seelt’s own goal in the 71st and Derry Scherhant’s 78th-minute winner, assisted by Johan Manzambi, turned the game in Freiburg’s favour.

Key substitutions influenced the outcome, such as Freiburg bringing on Grifo at half-time for Osterhage, which added attacking threat leading to the penalty, and Scherhant replacing Treu in the 67th, who later scored the winner. Yellow cards were shown to Wolfsburg’s Maximilian Arnold in the 82nd and Freiburg’s Anthony Jung in the 83rd, with another to Freiburg’s Julian Schuster in the 90+6th, amid a tense finish without any red cards.

VfL Wolfsburg lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Dzenan Pejcinovic leading the line effectively as the central striker and forming a strong partnership with Patrick Wimmer, who provided two assists. Maximilian Arnold anchored the midfield, though he picked up a late yellow card, while substitutions like Mattias Svanberg coming on for Lovro Majer and Jesper Lindstrøm replacing Christian Eriksen aimed to maintain energy in the attacking third.

SC Freiburg deployed a 4-2-3-1 shape, relying on players like Philipp Treu for early impact on the wing before Derry Scherhant replaced him to score the winner, supported by assists from Yuito Suzuki and Johan Manzambi. Vincenzo Grifo, who came on for Patrick Osterhage at half-time, proved crucial by converting the penalty, while the backline saw Jenson Seelt’s unfortunate own goal, with yellow cards going to Anthony Jung and Julian Schuster.

Dzenan Pejcinovic earned Bwin’s Man of the Match award for his outstanding performance, netting three goals without any assists, big chances created or key passes recorded in the data. His hat-trick kept Wolfsburg in the contest throughout, showcasing clinical finishing that stood out despite the team’s defeat.

Recent Bundesliga matches:

• Loss: 3-4 vs SC Freiburg (H)
• Win: 3-1 vs Borussia Mönchengladbach (A)
• Win: 3-1 vs FC Union Berlin (H)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Eintracht Frankfurt (A)
• Loss: 1-3 vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen (H)

Recent Bundesliga matches:

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

VfL Wolfsburg, currently 14th on 15 points, have just suffered a 3-4 home loss to SC Freiburg, adding to an inconsistent run that includes wins over Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Union Berlin but also a draw with Eintracht Frankfurt and defeats to Bayer Leverkusen. They face a tough test next against league leaders FC Bayern München, who sit first on 38 points, on 2026-01-11 at 16:30, where a positive result could help them climb away from the lower half of the table.

SC Freiburg, sitting ninth on 20 points, have just secured a 4-3 away victory over VfL Wolfsburg, building on a form guide that features a draw with Borussia Dortmund, a loss to Heidenheim, a strong win against FSV Mainz 05 and a heavy defeat to FC Bayern München. Their next fixture is against Hamburger SV, currently 13th on 16 points, on 2026-01-10 at 14:30, offering a chance to push for European spots with another solid performance.

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