Bremen snatch late win to extend Wolfsburg's misery

Werder Bremen struck twice late on to deny beleaguered Wolfsburg a morale-boosting win and steal a 2-1 Bundesliga victory on Friday.

Mattias Svanberg had given the visitors the first-half lead as they looked to stop the rot after five defeats in six league games.

But Jens Stage on 83 minutes and Samuel Mbangula in injury time turned the game around for the hosts.

It meant 12th-placed Wolfsburg have equalled the club's worst record after 10 matchdays having lost a sixth game.

Bremen, who are up to seventh, almost took an early lead but Kamil Grabara turned away Amos Pieper's header.

Against the run of play, Sweden midfielder Svanberg slotted in from inside the box on 28 minutes having started the move.

Both sides had more chances before and after the break, with Dane Stage heading in Yukinari Sugawara's cross for the leveller.

Substitute Mbangula soon had the Weserstadion rocking with his winner.

Wolfsburg took a punt in appointing unheralded Dutchman Paul Simonis as coach following his Dutch Cup triumph with Go Ahead Eagles last season.

But like so many of his predecessors over recent years, the campaign is unravelling quickly for the 2009 champions.

Horst Steffen has meanwhile stabilized Bremen after a shaky start to his tenure. They are now five league games unbeaten and have won three at home in a row for the first time since 2019.

This season's German top flight continues to be topsy-turvy - away from clear leaders Bayern Munich.

The champions can equal their own record with a 10th straight league win to start the season at Union Berlin on Saturday.