Double joy for Pongracic as Wolfsburg stun Leverkusen

LEVERKUSEN: Croatian Marin Pongracic scored his first two Bundesliga targets as VfL Wolfsburg romped to a shock 4-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, boosting their hopes of enjoying in European competitors subsequent season.

Leverkusen slipped one place right down to fifth on 53 factors from 28 video games, whereas Wolfsburg stayed sixth on 42 factors and heading in the right direction to clinch a Europa League qualifying berth.

It was the house facet’s first defeat for the reason that season restarted following a two-month stoppage attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, after they beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-1 and Werder Bremen 4-1 away of their first two video games again.

Cardboard followers within the in any other case empty stadium, with all Bundesliga video games being performed behind closed doorways, did little to encourage Leverkusen, as Wolfsburg dominated the opening half towards a toothless residence facet.

Centre again Pongracic headed the guests right into a 43rd-minute lead when he met a Maximilian Arnold free kick from the correct after Leverkusen keeper Lukas Hradecky had denied Joao Victor within the opening 15 minutes.

Hradecky pulled off two extra effective saves shortly after the break however was powerless to cease the rout as a galvanised Wolfsburg fired on all cylinders.

Arnold made it 2-Zero with a closely deflected free kick within the 64th minute and Renato Steffen added the third quickly after, heading a Victor cross into the roof of the web after he was left unmarked on the far submit.

Another effective cross by Arnold allowed Pongracic to place the icing on the cake with a glancing 74th-minute header earlier than Julian Baumgartlinger scored a late comfort for the house facet when he swept in a unfastened ball from shut vary.

Leverkusen go to seventh-placed Freiburg on Friday within the subsequent spherical of matches whereas Wolfsburg are at residence to struggling Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.