Bayer Leverkusen smash six past Wolfsburg in nine-goal thrill ride

[p]After taking just one point from his first two games in charge, Dieter Hecking took his side to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayer-leverkusen/4jcj2zMd/"]Leverkusen[/a] with hopes of instilling some much-needed impetus into their Bundesliga survival fight.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wind-jonas/Glknuas7/"]Jonas Wind[/a] got the visitors off to the perfect start, firing an emphatic left-foot shot past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/flekken-mark/INE64p13/"]Mark Flekken[/a] after showing great strength to hold off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bade-loic/YgxuEfvL/"]Loic Bade[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/wolfsburg/nwkTahLL/"]Wolfsburg[/a]’s joy soon turned to frustration when the referee controversially pointed to the spot, ruling that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maehle-joakim/QscOyy8Q/"]Joakim Maehle[/a] had overstepped the mark with his challenge on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maza-ibrahim/zPa6aAD8/"]Ibrahim Maza[/a], allowing Alex Grimaldo to calmly stroke the subsequent spot-kick down the middle of the goal.[/p][p]Feeling aggrieved by the penalty decision, Maehle channelled that anger to restore the away side’s narrow advantage with immediate effect, rifling a powerful shot from distance out of the goalkeeper’s reach after the hosts failed to deal with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grabara-kamil/0MhuM4YL/"]Grabara[/a]’s long kick forward from kick-off.[/p][p]Matters got worse for Kasper Hjulmand’s charges when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eriksen-christian/nBRuYbqs/"]Christian Eriksen[/a] sent Flekken the wrong way from 12 yards after the referee consulted the video technology and awarded the penalty for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tapsoba-edmond/d4z5zQ7g/"]Tapsoba[/a]’s mis-timed tackle on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/amoura-mohamed/lla8DJW0/"]Mohamed Amoura[/a].[/p][image alt="Bayer Leverkusen - Wolfsburg match stats" id="07505c7a-7449-4086-a6ba-3abbee890a97" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="273f4a4e-51b8-472d-b16b-be43d18af731" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]However, just as Die Wolfe thought they had done enough to establish a two-goal half-time lead, Grimaldo reduced the deficit with his second goal of a captivating first period, drilling a low strike into the near corner to complete his third brace of the Bundesliga season.[/p][p]The effort on the stroke of half-time did not deter Hjulmand from turning to his bench, introducing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schick-patrik/WzQQSSfc/"]Patrik Schick[/a] in a change that quickly paid dividends after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kumbedi-sael/vaX5DmSc/"]Sael Kumbedi[/a] tumbled into [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tella-nathan/QRtPmK69/"]Nathan Tella[/a] in the box.[/p][p]Instead of Grimaldo, Schick assumed responsibility for the game’s third penalty and waited for Grabara to commit to the dive before he rolled the ball in the opposite direction.[/p][p]With momentum in the home side’s favour, Tapsoba took charge of a pinball situation in the box, steering the loose ball in off the far post to put his team in front for the first time in the contest.[/p][p]Maza then made sure of the three points, curling his shot through Grabara’s defences after Leverkusen cut Wolfsburg open with a well-worked corner routine.[/p][p]There was still time left for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tillman-malik/pGHnblVn/"]Malik Tillman[/a] to add a sixth, piling more misery on the 17th-placed Wolves, who remain three points off the relegation playoff spot. As for the hosts, they stay in sixth position and four points adrift of the top four. [/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grimaldo-alex/6cAIrW5Q/"]Alex Grimaldo[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayer-leverkusen/4jcj2zMd/"]Bayer Leverkusen[/a])[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bayer-leverkusen-4jcj2zMd/wolfsburg-nwkTahLL/summary/stats/?mid=Stc23V0c"]Check out all the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/p]