- Kiel suffer a 0-2 defeat in their historical home match against Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg Dampens Holstein Kiel's Epic Premier League Bow in Germany
VfL Wolfsburg managed to spoil Holstein Kiel's inaugural match in the German football elite, securing a 0:2 (0:2) victory in the Bundesliga's maiden appearance in Schleswig-Holstein. After two matches, the newly-promoted side remains without points.
The Wolfsburg team, boasting Bundesliga experience, showed a more composed performance than their freshly-promoted opponents. Following an invigorating start by Kiel, Maximilian Arnold (27th minute) and Sebastiaan Bornauw (30th) dampened the excitement of the packed crowd with their goals. The Holstein Stadium featured 15,034 spectators. As the game progressed, Kiel's head coach, Marcel Rapp, was shown a red card.
Stadium Touches Up under Regulations
Prior to the contest, Holstein Kiel had been working on the stadium to meet DFL licensing requirements, which included installing new cameras and upgrading the floodlights. The stadium is scheduled for renovation in autumn 2025.
The zealous fans eagerly anticipated the debut Bundesliga home game, with the city adorned in blue. Before the match, Rapp described it as a "historic game." Meanwhile, Wolfsburg's coach, Ralph Hasenhüttl, referred to the encounter as "special." Having entered the contest, Wolfsburg aimed to curb the home team's celebrations early.
Initially, the northern club didn't let that happen, with Shuto Machino (12th) having the first good chance. However, Wolfsburg struggled to find ideas, and many long balls went astray.
Wolfsburg Grabs the Lead
The guests began to pick up the pace, breaking the initial hype. Patrick Wimmer narrowly missed a scoring opportunity from close range, but captain Arnold didn't miss his mark, converting a free-kick from around 25 meters, with the kick deflecting into Kiel's net. Bornauw soon added another goal from a set piece.
The two sides last met in 2018 in the Bundesliga promotion/relegation playoff, with Wolfsburg clinching both games and retaining their top-flight status.
As the first half came to an end, Wolfsburg suffered a setback, with Croatian Lovro Majer getting injured and having to exit the field. He was replaced by Borussia Dortmund loanee Salih Özcan, who had previously been on loan to Holstein between 2019 and 2020.
The second half displayed a fierce intensity, with occasional chances for both contenders. Despite Kiel's persistent efforts, they failed to pose enough of a threat to Wolfsburg's goal, ultimately failing to salvage the situation.
Despite VfL Wolfsburg's victory, Holstein Kiel's captain, Maximilian Arnold, previously played for the northern club on loan. In the Bundesliga clash, Arnold scored the opening goal for Wolfsburg, contributing to their 0:2 victory, which extended Holstein Kiel's winless streak to two matches in the German football elite.
