Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

Leverkusen back into top four with 3-0 win over Wolfsburg

BERLIN (Reuters) - Bayer Leverkusen battled back into Champions League contention on Friday with a 3-0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg, who saw their own hopes of European football next season severely dented with six matches left.

Teenager Julian Brandt fired in after 27 minutes and Mexican Javier Hernandez stunned the visitors with a cleverly curled shot.

Talented Ukrainian Vladen Yurchenko made it 3-0 in the 87th minute with a crisp drive for his first goal with the German club, who recorded their third win in a row and moved into fourth spot on 45 points, three off third-placed Hertha Berlin.

Wolfsburg, facing Real Madrid in the Champions League last eight next week, were toothless once again, having now scored only once in their last three league matches to stay stuck in eighth on 38, four off the European spots.

Hakan Calhanoglu came close to adding a second goal for the hosts a minute after the restart but his low drive, from a well-timed Brandt back flick, sailed narrowly wide.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Hernandez then pounced on a defensive error but failed to beat keeper Diego Benaglio in their one-on-one. He was flawless in his execution in the 74th, however, curling a shot past the Swiss from the edge of the box for his 15th goal of the campaign.

Wolfsburg, last season's runners' up and German Cup winner, had to wait for almost an hour for their first shot on goal, despite the inclusion of forward Max Kruse, who had been thrown out of the German squad days ago following several off-the-pitch incidents in recent months.

They have managed just two wins in their last seven league matches.

Leaders Bayern Munich on 69 points, host Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday while Borussia Dortmund, in second place five points behind, entertain Werder Bremen.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha Sarkar)


2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world