Martin Schmidt led Mainz into Europe for the first time but faces a more complex challenge in Wolfsburg. After coaching changes and the Volkswagen emissions scandal, the Wolves need to decide what they want to be.
Image: imago/Hübner
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"It's a game of two halves" is a cliched analysis used by footballers, coaches and pundits everywhere but it was entirely appropriate on Tuesday night, as VfL Wolfsburg drew 1-1 at home with Werder Bremen in new coach Martin Schmidt's first match in charge.
"We want to get straight in the box," announced the Swiss technician, who took over from Dutchman Andries Jonker this week, and his team appeared to respond to their new boss's wish to be direct – at least in the first half.
Enjoying up to 74 percent possession, the Wolves took the lead through Liverpool loanee Divock Origi and Yunus Malli could have increased their lead before half-time. But their old lethargy returned after the break as Bremen responded, drawing level through Fin Bartels and missing chances to win all three points late on.
Over the course of 90 minutes, Wolfsburg showed two contrasting sides to their game – but it's a schizophrenia which runs deeper than just the first eleven.
Divock Origi gave Wolfsburg the lead against BremenImage: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Steffen
Identity crisis
Wolfsburg is a contradictory town. It may host the headquarters of a global automobile manufacturer in Volkswagen, but it is local workers, families and communities who benefit from the jobs they provide.
Similarly, its football team may be derided for not adhering to German football's 50+1 ownership rule, but its supporters are fiercely loyal and proud of the fact that they have a genuine Werkself – a works team from the company they all work for.
Champions in 2009 and runners-up in 2015, a Wolfsburg team featuring Julian Draxler and André Schürrle went on to knock Manchester United out of the Champions League and almost repeated the feat against Real Madrid.
But the reliance on their parent company became clear in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal when they were obliged to scrap plans for a new 40-million-euro youth academy and sell the likes of Kevin De Bruyne (€80 million to Manchester City), Draxler (€40m to Paris Saint-Germain) and Schürrle (€30m to Borussia Dortmund). Come the end of last season, they found themselves battling to retain their Bundesliga status in a play-off against Eintracht Braunschweig.
The struggle to define Wolfsburg's identity hasn't been helped by changes in management either. Not only is Martin Schmidt the third permanent coach this calendar year and the fourth in the last 12 months, 39-year-old sporting director Olaf Rebbe has a completely different philosophy to his experienced predecessor Klaus Allofs.
Martin Schmidt (r) replaced Andries Jonker (l) Image: imago/Sven Simon
What do Wolfsburg want to be?
Having signed a contract until 2019, it's now down to Martin Schmidt to help Wolfsburg decide what they want to be.
Is Volkswagen able and prepared to finance the club to a level where they can compete in the top half and challenge for the European spots? The town of Wolfsburg may be popular among its inhabitants but top players need a financial incentive to convince them to choose the Autostadt over Germany's bigger cities. Or is it time to adjust expectations and rebrand as a club where talent comes to develop?
Tuesday night's draw with Bremen showcased Wolfsburg's two faces on the pitch but there are even more contrasts to iron out behind the scenes.
Bundesliga: RB Leipzig shocked by Augsburg, James inspires Bayern, BVB win
Just two days after the end of Matchday 4, Matchday 5 saw Bayern brush aside Schalke, Augsburg upset the odds and Hertha pile more misery on Leverkusen. Catch up with all that happened in midweek right here.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/M. Sohn
Hertha 2-1 Leverkusen
Mathew Leckie cannot stop scoring! The Australian international (left) gave Hertha the early lead, his fourth goal in five Bundesliga games. Salomon Kalou's goal gave Hertha a 2-0 halftime lead, and Julian Brandt scored a consolation goal for Leverkusen just before the final whistle.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/M. Sohn
Hamburg 0-3 Borussia Dortmund
Shinji Kagawa (middle) gave Dortmund the early advantage with a goal in the six-yard box, and the Bundesliga leaders never looked back. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finished off a deflected shot from Andriy Yarmolenko just after the hour mark. Christian Pulisic topped off the game with a goal just before time which was Dortmund's 3000th ever in the Bundesliga.
Image: REUTERS
Cologne 0-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
A controversial penalty decision by referee Martin Petersen, who was officiating his first game in the Bundesliga, decided the game. Timo Horn (bottom) appeared to swipe the ball cleanly from the feet of Mijat Gacinovic (top), but Petersen pointed to the spot. Sebastien Haller hit home the penalty as Frankfurt handed Cologne their fifth loss of the Bundesliga season.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/F. Gambarini
Freiburg 1-1 Hannover
It was a physical battle for much of the game and in the end they wound up splitting the points. Hannover looked to have their fourth win in five games when Martin Harnik opened the scoring in the second half. But Nils Petersen, who was substituted into the game in the 74th minute, scored the equalizer from a corner nine minutes later.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/M. Kienzler
Mainz 2-3 Hoffenheim
It took five goals to separate these two sides in an attacking showcase in Mainz. Danny Latza and Yoshinori Muto gave Mainz an early two-goal lead after a quarter of an hour, but Nadiem Amiri and Sandro Wagner leveled the score before halftime. Mark Uth (pictured) scored the match winner in second half stoppage time to give Hoffenheim their third win of the season.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Michael Probst
Augsburg 1-0 RB Leipzig
Augsburg pulled off a stunning victory against RB Leipzig to make it 10 points from their first five games. Michael Gregoritsch scored his first goal for the club, profiting after his teammates recycled possession following an attack. Leipzig might have leveled, but Augsburg came equally close. Ralph Hasenhüttl and his team looked rattled at the end with the boss entering the pitch to protest.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Puchner
Schalke 0 - 3 Bayern Munich
Despite a promising start and a first Bundesliga start for US talent Weston McKennie, Schalke were outclassed. Colombian James Rodriguez scored one and assisted one on his debut as Bayern proved too much for Schalke. Robert Lewandowski (pictured) scored from the spot after a VAR decision and Arturo Vidal volleyed in as Schalke huffed and puffed to no avail.
Image: Reuters/W. Rattay
Gladbach 2-0 Stuttgart
A brace from Brazilian Raffael was enough for the home side to see off a stubborn Stuttgart side. After a fairly uneventful first half, Raffael (pictured) broke the deadlock with a neat volley in the box. The striker's first Bundesliga goal of the season was followed by his second when he converted from the spot after Thorgan Hazard was tugged on the shoulder.
Image: imago/M. Müller
Wolfsburg 1-1 Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen missed the chance to win away as Martin Schmidt made his debut as Wolfsburg head coach. The home side looked to be heading for three points after Divock Origi scored his first league goal to finish off a swift attack. But it was all Bremen from that point and after Fin Bartels rose to head home in the box, the visitors should have found a winner in a strong second half display.
