VfL Wolfsburg Secures a Dominant Win Against Jena

Photo credit: VfL Wolfsburg

VfL Wolfsburg claimed a convincing 3-0 victory over FC Carl Zeiss Jena. With this win, the Wolves remain close behind the leading duo of Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern Munich. They also move past Bayer Leverkusen to claim third place in the standings. Meanwhile, Jena remains just two points away from the relegation zone.

Lineups

Wolfsburg started in a 5-3-2 formation. The five-player defensive line allowed full-backs Diána Németh and Lynn Wilms to push forward and support attackers Jule Brand and Svenja Huth in feeding strikers Alexandra Popp and Lineth Beerensteyn. In goal, 24-year-old Anneke Borbe started instead of Wolfsburg’s usual number one, Merle Frohms. Head coach Tommy Stroot later confirmed that Borbe will be the first-choice goalkeeper for the second half of the season, while Frohms will only feature occasionally before her departure in the winter.

Jena lined up in a defensive 5-4-1 setup. The three center-backs—Gwendolyn Mummert, Anja Heuschkel, and Toma Ihlenburg—were supported by a compact midfield designed to disrupt Wolfsburg’s attacking play. Melina Reuter was the lone striker up front.

First Half

Wolfsburg dominated from the start but had to wait until the 15th minute for their first big chance. After a corner from Lynn Wilms, Janina Minge headed the ball just wide. Three minutes later, Lineth Beerensteyn put the Wolves ahead with her 10th goal of the season. Following a free kick from the left half-space by Svenja Huth, Janina Minge laid the ball off to Beerensteyn, who slotted it home from close range.

Just two minutes later, Jena’s well-known struggles with set-pieces were exposed again. Svenja Huth scored directly from a corner kick, with neither the defense nor goalkeeper Jasmin Janning reacting well. Wolfsburg continued to create chances, the best of which fell to Jule Brand, who only needed to tap the ball into an empty net after a precise pass but hit the post instead.

Jena registered their first shot in the 47th minute when Josephine Bonsu attempted an effort from inside the penalty area, but it was blocked.

Second Half

Wolfsburg continued their dominance, but Jena had the first real chance of the half. In the 53rd minute, Fiona Gaißer struck the crossbar from the edge of the box after a through ball from Merza Julevic. Wolfsburg immediately launched a counterattack and played through Jena’s remaining defense beautifully, but Justine Kielland’s shot hit the bar, bounced on the goal line, and was eventually cleared.

In the 66th minute, Wolfsburg extended their lead from another set-piece. Svenja Huth delivered a free kick into the box, where Janina Minge scored with a header, placing the ball low into the right corner.

Wolfsburg remained in control, but Jena’s goalkeeper Jasmin Janning made several crucial saves to prevent a heavier defeat. The closest Wolfsburg came to increasing their lead was in the 76th minute when Vivien Endemann struck the side netting.

Substitutions

• Wolfsburg: Ella Peddemors for Justine Kielland (57’), Sveindís Jónsdóttir for Diána Németh (57’), Vivien Endemann for Lynn Wilms (71’), Joelle Wedemeyer for Caitlin Dijkstra (71’), Rebecka Blomqvist for Jule Brand (79’)

• Jena: Anna Margraf for Melina Reuter (63’), Nicole Woldmann for Josephine Bonsu (73’), Lisa Gora for Nelly Juckel (85’), Noemi Gentile for Merza Julević (85’), Anila Metzner for Felicia Sträßer (85’)

Statistics

Wolfsburg dominated possession with 69%, while Jena managed just 31%. The Wolves registered a total of 22 shots, 10 of which were on target. Jena, on the other hand, failed to produce a single shot on target and managed only three attempts throughout the entire match. Wolfsburg’s strength from set-pieces proved decisive, while Jena struggled to create any meaningful attacking threats.