Goals from Naldo and Vieirinha have given Wolfsburg a 2-1 lead against Manchester United in the Champions League, leaving the Premier League side on the brink of elimination.
© Getty Images
Wolfsburg should have gone ahead as early as the third minute through Andre Schurrle, but after receiving a flick-on from Max Kruse, the former Chelsea man could only volley high over the crossbar, despite being under no pressure from a United defender.
United responded positively to almost falling a goal behind, but despite a flowing move down the left ending with the ball finding Juan Mata on the edge of the box, his strike was weak and straight at teammate Marouane Fellaini, who was in an offside position.
Moments later, though, Mata made amends by supplying the pass for Anthony Martial to get in behind the Wolfsburg defence before calmly finding the bottom corner from 12 yards.
© Getty Images
It took Wolfsburg all of three minutes to find an equaliser, as Ricardo Rodriguez curled in a cross for Naldo to volley into the bottom corner after getting in front of his marker.
After that initial burst of action, both teams began to settle into a slower rhythm, but it was United who looked the more threatening and shortly before the half-hour mark, Fellaini met Danny Blind's corner with a header, only to be denied by goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.
The save from Benaglio proved crucial as two minutes later, Wolfsburg scored a goal of the highest quality, with a flowing team move ending with Julian Draxler tapping the ball across goal for Vieirinha to add the finishing touch.
Draxler should have made it three with eight minutes of the first half remaining, but despite dancing around the United defence, he could not beat David de Gea, who made a fine save from point-blank range.
United thought that they had equalised just before the break when Jesse Lingard's cross went into the far corner, but Mata was adjudged to have distracted Benaglio from an offside position.
Darren Plant
