Bayer Leverkusen climbed to second in the Bundesliga standings after a dominant first-half performance led to a 3-1 victory over Wolfsburg at Volkswagen Arena. Kasper Hjulmand's team scored three goals before halftime, establishing a strong lead. Although Denis Vavro's goal in the 57th minute offered Wolfsburg some hope, it wasn't enough to change the outcome.
Leverkusen took an early lead just nine minutes into the match. Alejandro Grimaldo's cross deflected off Malik Tillman, allowing Jonas Hofmann to score. Edmond Tapsoba extended their advantage in the 24th minute with a header from Aleix Garcia's cross, finding the bottom-right corner of the net.
Patrik Schick further increased Leverkusen's lead in the 33rd minute by setting up Tillman, who
calmly scored past Kamil Grabara. After halftime, Wolfsburg showed more urgency. Konstantinos Koulierakis and Dzenan Pejcinovic forced saves from Mark Flekken, but their efforts were insufficient to overcome Leverkusen's lead.
Vavro managed to score for Wolfsburg just before the hour mark with a header from Maximilian Arnold's corner. However, Leverkusen nearly restored their three-goal cushion shortly after when Ernest Poku hit the crossbar. Despite Wolfsburg's attempts to close the gap, they couldn't prevent extending their winless home streak in the league to 14 matches.
Wir nehmen drei wichtige Punkte mit aus Wolfsburg #WOBB04 #Bayer04 #Bundesliga pic.twitter.com/yg02nZuI8P
Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04fussball) November 22, 2025
After losing their unbeaten away record of 37 Bundesliga matches against Bayern Munich on matchday nine, Leverkusen aimed to avoid consecutive away losses for the first time since late 2022. Despite being outshot by Wolfsburg with an expected goals (xG) of 2.21 compared to their own xG of 1.12 from seven shots, Leverkusen's finishing quality made the difference.
Malik Tillman stood out for Leverkusen as he became the first United States international since Jordan Pefok in August 2022 to achieve both a goal and an assist in a Bundesliga match. His performance was crucial in securing this victory for his team.
Leverkusen demonstrated resilience and efficiency in front of goal despite facing pressure from Wolfsburg throughout the game. Their ability to capitalise on key opportunities allowed them to secure all three points and maintain momentum in their Bundesliga campaign.
