Draxler Goals Help Wolfsburg

Getty Images

Julian Draxler scored two classy goals to lead Wolfsburg to a 3-2 away win over Champions League newcomers Gent in their round of 16 first leg match. At 22, Draxler confirmed himself as the new creative force of a team that had been struggling, scoring just before and just after half-time. On the hour mark, Max Kruse finished off another smooth move with a goal that made it seem like the second leg would be little more than a formality.

Minute-by-minute report: Wolfsburg led 3-0 and almost made it four, but Gent woke up in the final 10 minutes, scoring twice to keep the tie alive before next month’s second leg in Germany. Alan Smith watched it.

But Gent’s Sven Kums scored from 18 yards in the 80th minute and Kalifa Coulibaly, with a close-range header, made the game still closer nine minutes later – meaning that new life has been breathed into the Belgian side’s prospects of causing another big shock in the competition.

Wolfsburg defended high from the start and harried Gent’s midfield throughout, belying the host side’s robust home reputation. Draxler, though, made all the difference. In the 44th minute, he first swivelled around a defender and sprinted down the left sideline before working a perfect one-two with Vieirinha and finishing the move off with a low shot past Matz Sels.

His second goal, in the 54th minute, was perhaps even better. Latching on to a bad backpass, he beat the last defender, Stefan Mitrovic, with a ball through the legs before chipping over Sels into the empty net.

It was an important payoff from Wolfsburg’s most expensive player and also showed his promise for the German national team. Draxler was brought in after Kevin De Bruyne moved to Manchester City, but the German side has been struggling for much of this season and is currently eighth in the Bundesliga.

Still, Draxler’s performance showed that a struggling team in the German league still presents a massive challenge for a Champions League newcomer like Gent. Regardless, Wolfsburg were frustrated with the late goals that left Gent still with an outside chance in the return game. “We shifted a gear back,” said Draxler. “That was our mistake.”

The Belgian champions were euphoric about reaching the knockout stage, but struggled from the kick-off. Gent, who won their first league title last year, have charmed everyone with open attacking play but, even though Wolfsburg’s defence was hit by suspension and injury, they were only able to thrill the home fans at the 20,000-capacity Ghelamco Arena in the last 10 minutes.

Related articles

• Champions League: Real Madrid inch towards quarters as Ronaldo, Jese power 2-0 win over Roma
• Manchester City EDS thump Liverpool to make their case for more game time
• Julian Draxler double sees Wolfsburg home against Gent [VIDEO]
• Tactical Analysis: Athletic Bilbao 5-2 Eibar | Bilbao blow away the 4-4-2
• Ronaldo breaks Roma resistance as Real win 2-0
• Alessandro Florenzi: 'Result is not fair"

Borussia Glad to beat Bayern

Borussia Mönchengladbach struck three times in 14 minutes in the second half to floor Bayern Munich 3-1 and inflict the champions’ first Bundesliga defeat of the season.

Oscar Wendt put the hosts ahead in the 54th minute and quick goals from Lars Stindl and Fabian Johnson knocked out Bayern, who looked stunned after winning 13 of their 14 league games in a record-breaking start to the campaign.

Franck Ribéry scored on his comeback after an eight-month injury break but the Frenchman’s 81st-minute goal came too late to turn the game around.

Gladbach stretched their unbeaten run under André Schubert to 10 league games and climbed to third on 26 points. Bayern are top on 40, eight ahead of Borussia Dortmund, who take on VfL Wolfsburg later on Saturday.

Bayern, repeatedly caught napping at the back and lacking their usual pace on the wings with Arjen Robben and Douglas Costa out injured, were still the better side in the first half. Robert Lewandowski connected with a superb Philipp Lahm through ball in the 18th minute and Thomas Müller had a shot on goal but Yann Sommer was well placed to save both efforts.

Pep Guardiola’s side kept up the pressure and Kingsley Coman hit the post with a low drive in the 25th minute.

Gladbach, however – in sensational form under Schubert since a five-game losing start – refused to buckle and hit the champions on the break, Raffael combining beautifully with Wendt and the Swede curling a low shot past Manuel Neuer.

Julian Korb came agonisingly close to a second goal but Neuer, at full stretch, kicked the ball on to the bar. Stindl, however, was given far too much space in the box and he volleyed in on 66 minutes as the game tipped firmly in the hosts’ favour.

Johnson beat the offside trap, with defender Jérôme Boateng caught out, two minutes later before Ribéry scored a consolation for Bayern.

Related articles

• Bayern Munich substitute Robert Lewandowski breaks record with five goals in nine minutes
• Bayern Munich substitute Robert Lewandowski breaks record with five goals in nine minutes
• How Lewandowski Made History With Five Goals In Nine Minutes
• Bayern's Robert Lewandowski scores five goals in nine minutes. And, yes, that's a record.
• Half-Time Report: Olympiakos hold Bayern Munich at break
• 'What a special moment': Robert Lewandowski scores five goals in nine minutes for Bayern Munich

Wonderful Wonderful Gelsenkirchen

A stoppage-time goal from John O'Shea on his 100th cap preserved the Republic of Ireland's unbeaten record in European qualifying by rescuing them a 1-1 draw away to world champions Germany.

It looked as though Martin O'Neill's men were set for their first defeat of the campaign after Toni Kroos' long-range shot had given the home side the lead with 19 minutes to go in Gelsenkirchen.

But O'Shea, who is his country's sixth international centurion, was on hand to flick the ball into the bottom corner of the net with the last kick of the game to salvage a point.

This means that Ireland are second in Group D, level with Poland on seven points (but having scored a goal less) and three points ahead of Germany.

Prior to his late heroics, O'Shea had been part of an Ireland defence that had fought valiantly for 70 minutes to repel a German team who were looking to bounce back from a defeat in Poland that had brought an end to their 19-game unbeaten run in competitive matches.

For much of the match they did just this, keeping their shape and restricting the home side the space they needed around the box to capitalise on their vastly superior possession.

Ireland’s cause was helped by a sluggish first-half display from a German side who are still adjusting to the post-World Cup retirements of Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker and Miroslav Klose and missing Mesut Ozil, Marco Reus, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Andre Schurrle through injury.

The traffic was all one way but largely came to a halt ahead of the 18-yard box as Mario Gotze and Julian Draxler struggled while Thomas Muller was far less influential than he had been during the World Cup in Brazil.

Saying that, they could easily have led at the break but for the crossbar denying Erik Durm's somewhat speculative 40-yard effort, Antonio Rudiger heading wide when he should have hit the target from 10 yards out and David Forde saving well from a Draxler angled shot.

The home side came out with renewed vigour after the break, having sent on Lukas Podolski – one of only six substitutes named by Low.

Forde produced a superb save to palm over a Kroos shot, but he was powerless to prevent a low drive from the same player later in the half, which found the back of the net off the inside of the post.

Now needing to chase the game, Ireland sent on Hoolahan and he was presented with an excellent chance to snatch a point when he was found in the box by a low cross from James McClean but his goalbound effort was blocked by the sliding Durm.

With 90 minutes having elapsed, Ireland launched one last attack and, when Hoolahan's over-hit cross was played back into the box by fellow substitute Jeff Hendrick, acting captain O'Shea was there with a neat finish to send the away fans into ecstasy.

Related articles

• O'shea grabs late draw for republic
• Germany v Republic of Ireland, Euro 2016 qualifier: live
• Germany 1-1 Republic of Ireland: John O'Shea scores dramatic equaliser in stoppage time
• Result: John O'Shea stuns Germany with late equaliser on 100th cap
• O'Shea's late strike earns Irish draw with Germany
• Germany vs. Rep. of Ireland: Score, Grades and Reaction from Euro 2016 Qualifier