Wolfsburg see off Frankfurt, Cologne sink Stuttgart
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| AFP |
Last season's German Bundesliga runners-up Wolfsburg opened their new league campaign with a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday as all three goals came in the opening 20 minutes.
Dieter Hecking's side, who finished ten points behind champions Bayern Munich last season, flew out of the blocks at the Volkswagen Arena with Croatia winger Ivan Perisic and Dutch striker Bas Dost putting them 2-0 up. Wolves were rewarded for some patient build-up play as new striker Max Kruse fired in a brilliant cross which Perisic headed home at the far post on 13 minutes.
They doubled their lead four minutes later after calamitous Frankfurt defending in the area as Kruse poked the ball across the face of goal and Dost buried his shot from close range. Frankfurt fought back with defensive midfielder Stefan Reinartz taking advantage of some sloppy Wolfsburg defending to pull a goal back for the visitors on 19 minutes.
It proved to be the end of the scoring, although both sides had second-half chances as Perisic in particular went close.
Later, Cologne beat hosts Stuttgart 3-1 as Anthony Modeste converted a second-half penalty and Simon Zoller doubled the visitors' lead two minutes later before Stuttgart's Daniel Didavi netted a late spot-kick. Japan striker Yuya Osako came off the bench to claim Cologne's third goal just before the final whistle by tapping home Modeste's pass.