Match ends, VfL Wolfsburg 4, FC Bayern München 1.
WolfsburgVfL Wolfsburg4Bayern MunichBayern Munich1
Bayern Munich suffered a first meaningful Bundesliga defeat in over two years as they lost to Wolfsburg.
Bayern's only league defeats since October 2012 had come after they wrapped up last season's title but they returned from the six-week winter break in unfamiliar fashion.
Bas Dost opened the scoring after four minutes and volleyed home a second in first-half injury-time.
Kevin De Bruyne scored a goal either side of Juan Bernat's strike.
The result - Bayern's first league defeat since April - sees second-placed Wolfsburg close the gap on the leaders to eight points.
There was a minute's applause before the game for 20-year-old Wolfsburg first-team player Junior Malanda, who died in a car crash earlier this month.
And what followed was an equally fine tribute.
Pep Guardiola's Bayern had only conceded four goals in the first half of the Bundesliga season, comprising 17 games before the winter break, but 73 minutes into the second part of the campaign that tally had been doubled.
Wolfsburg took the lead with their first chance of the game as they swiftly counter-attacked after Thomas Muller lost possession near the box, De Bruyne laying the ball across to Dost who slotted home in lots of space.
Both sides squandered chances before Dost, a 25-year-old uncapped Dutch striker, hit a wonderful first-time volley from the edge of the box as an attempted clearance fell into his path.
Wolfsburg started the second half in similar attacking fashion as Daniel Caligiuri fired wide, but they did not have to wait long for goal number three.
De Bruyne - starting his run in the Wolfsburg half - latched onto a Max Arnold through ball, took a few touches and slotted past Manuel Neuer from the edge of the box.
Seconds later a comeback looked a possibility when Naldo miscontrolled the ball to Bernat, who scored into an empty net.
But the expected onslaught never materialised and Wolfsburg's Dost, Arnold and Luiz Gustavo all missed chances for a fourth before De Bruyne killed the match off.
Arnold again played a ball from his own half for the former Chelsea attacking midfielder, who wrong-footed defender Dante before smashing the ball past Neuer into the roof of the net.
Things look poised to get even better for Wolfsburg, who are suddenly back in with an outside shot of the title, with Germany World Cup winner Andre Schurrle expected to join from Chelsea in a £22m deal before transfer deadline day.
Line-ups
Wolfsburg
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Benaglio
- 8Vieira de Freitas
- 25Naldo
- 31Knoche
- 34Rodriguez
- 27ArnoldBooked at 43mins
- 22DiasBooked at 90mins
- 7CaligiuriSubstituted forHuntat 86'minutes
- 14De Bruyne
- 9PerisicSubstituted forSchäferat 81'minutes
- 12DostSubstituted forBendtnerat 83'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Bendtner
- 4Schäfer
- 5Klose
- 10Hunt
- 20Grün
- 24Jung
- 30Seguin
Bayern Munich
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 1Neuer
- 20RodeSubstituted forWeiserat 51'minutes
- 17Boateng
- 4Costa Santos
- 18Bernat
- 3AlonsoBooked at 43mins
- 10Robben
- 31SchweinsteigerBooked at 47mins
- 27Alaba
- 25MüllerSubstituted forGötzeat 71'minutes
- 9LewandowskiSubstituted forPizarroat 71'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Benatia
- 14Pizarro
- 16Gaudino
- 19Götze
- 23Reina
- 28Badstuber
- 30Weiser
- Referee:
- Tobias Welz
- Attendance:
- 30,000
Match Stats
Home TeamWolfsburgAway TeamBayern Munich
- Possession
- Home32%
- Away68%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away16
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away7
- Corners
- Home1
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away15
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, VfL Wolfsburg 4, FC Bayern München 1.
Booking
Luiz Gustavo (VfL Wolfsburg) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Mario Götze (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Luiz Gustavo (VfL Wolfsburg).
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Corner, VfL Wolfsburg. Conceded by Mitchell Weiser.
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Foul by Juan Bernat (FC Bayern München).
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Vieirinha (VfL Wolfsburg) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by David Alaba with a cross.
Substitution
Substitution, VfL Wolfsburg. Aaron Hunt replaces Daniel Caligiuri.
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Attempt missed. Claudio Pizarro (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from very close range is just a bit too high. Assisted by Juan Bernat.
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Attempt missed. Juan Bernat (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right.
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Attempt blocked. Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mario Götze with a headed pass.
Substitution
Substitution, VfL Wolfsburg. Nicklas Bendtner replaces Bas Dost.
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Offside, FC Bayern München. Arjen Robben tries a through ball, but Juan Bernat is caught offside.
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Attempt saved. Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Substitution
Substitution, VfL Wolfsburg. Marcel Schäfer replaces Ivan Perisic.
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Foul by Mitchell Weiser (FC Bayern München).
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Ricardo Rodriguez (VfL Wolfsburg) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Jerome Boateng (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
