There was little Paderborn could do to stop a rampaging Wolfsburg side out for blood. The wolves bounced back from a disappointing last few weeks, and a 3-1 victory was enough to take back second place.
A Powerful midfield display from Wolfsburg earned three vital points and secured direct qualification into next years Champions League. Paderborn will have to look towards clashes against Shalke and Stuttgart to avoid relegation.
Paderborn
Lukas Kruse – 5.5: Conceded three goals but was hard done by considering he had no help from his defenders. A couple of decent saves kept Paderborn in it, but unable to tip out Maximilian Arnold’s shot let Dost seal the victory
Michael Heinloth – 5: Paderborns defenders were often caught out by the wolves. Dost got in behind twice for easy tap-ins and the defence was nowhere to be seen. Troubled by Perisic and Caliguri all day.
Rafa – 5: Did not let his opponent know he was in for a tough game, gave to much time on the ball and did not help out his custodian when the time mattered.
Uwe Hunemeier – 6: Could take a leaf out of Timm Klose’s book, defensive efforts although solid, were not good enough to keep a side like Wolfsburg out.
Daniel Bruckner – 6.5: Was more effective with the ball then defending it, a tough day at the office like most the defence. Did his job in the air when required and made a couple of tackles. Did his role on the wingers when required.
Mario Vrancic – 6: Worked hard and made his presence felt with 5 successful tackles. Helped to keep De Bruyne quiet.
Marvin Bakalorz – 5: Never looked settled and was caught out by passing play on numerous occasions. Did not have a lot of the ball to make an impact.
Moritz Stopplekamp – 5: Performance matched that of Paderborn, found little creativity of his play and could not help out his forwards.
Lukas Rupp – 7: His goal was fantastic, unstoppable even. Perhaps indicative of his hard work and commitment to the cause. Best on field for the losing team but deserved more from those around him
Marc Vucinovic – 5: Found life difficult against Rodriguez and had little impact on the end result.
Elias Kachunga – 5.5: Tried hard but was barely given scraps to work with in the forward half. Found himself marking Timm Klose for the corner and was overwhelmed.
Substitutions
Suleyman Koc – 7: Changed the dynamic of the game when he was introduced and probably deserved a goal. Gave Rodriguez a few headaches early on before being closely watched. Toiled hard to bring Paderborn some respect.
Mahir Saglik – 4.5: Given limited time to make an impact and did not really have the opportunity to do so.
Srdjan Lakic – 4.5: Would be dissapointed not to have had more time against former employers Wolfsburg. Didn’t have an opportunity to prove himself.
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Wolfsburg
Diego Benaglio – 6.5: Not a lot needed from the Swiss shot stopper, unlucky to concede late to an unstoppable wonder strike. Made a handful of saves when it counted.
Christian Trasch – 7: Toiled hard all day and did not allow much movement on the right-hand side. Got back where appropriate.
Naldo – 7: Not at his best, but certainly not at his worst. A presence down back but was caught out once or twice by the pace of Paderborn’s strikers. Missed a golden opportunity to add to his goal tally
Timm Klose – 9: Man of the match performance, just edging Bas Dost out. Broke free at the corner to head home early, and gave Kachunga absolutely nothing all day. Presence was particularly noticed with five clearances and nine interceptions.
Ricardo Rodriguez – 8: Asides from 10-15 minutes where Koc looked dangerous, Rici gave nothing away. His corners were sublime and could have had two assists had Naldo not headed wide.
Luiz Gustavo – 8: An enforcer in the midfield, showed his importance to the team and perhaps a bit overshadowed in his role. 85% passing highlighted the care he took in possession.
Joshua Guilavogui – 7.5: Much like Gustavo in a role that went unnoticed but was no less important for the team. Sheer physical stature troubled Paderborn.
Daniel Caliguri – 6.5: Not the creative display we are used to from the elusive winger. Went down under not much contact to get booked for simulation, and did not recover the confidence.
Kevin De Bruyne – 7: Did not take hold of the game like it would be expected of him. Played a number of accurate long balls but wasted a few easier passes.
Ivan Perisic – 8.0: Always a nuisance for the defenders, showed a bit of zip here and there and was a constant threat in the box. Assist to Bas Dost was sublime and capped off a deserved performance.
Bas Dost – 9.0: Bas Dost looks to have rediscovered his early 2015 form. A number of great aerial duels won (10/10) and he was in the right place in the right time to bag himself a nice brace. Aside from some wayward passes here and there a very productive day out. Perhaps the signing of Max Kruse has reinvigorated the Dutch big man.
Substitutes
Maximilian Arnold – 6: Nearly had a goal and looked hungry for more touches. Not enough time to have a large impact.
Marcel Shafer – 5.5: Played a small role with 2 tackles 1 interception in his limited minutes.
Andre Schurrle – 5: Barely had anytime to settle before the final whistle blew.
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