Wolfsburg pile plenty of bodies inside the Bayern half of the pitch as they try to score a late, late equaliser, but they're unable to find any joy out wide and the ball is shepherded behind for a goal-kick by Rafinha. That should be that.
90' +3
T. Müller gets yellow.
Wolfsburg quickly push forward from the restart and win themselves a free-kick, which they try to take quickly. They're unable to do so, though, as Muller cynically kicks the ball away and earns himself a yellow card.
90' +2
L. Dimata enters the game and replaces Y. Mallı.
The hosts have made a late change, with Dimata coming on to replace Malli.
90' +1
Penalty goal scored by R. Lewandowski for Bayern Munich!
GOAL! Bayern don't have any problems this time, as Lewandowski squeezes a low shot past Casteels and into the bottom right-hand corner of the net. Heartbreak for Wolfsburg!
90'
G. Itter gets yellow.
PENALTY! Bernat darts into the left-hand side of the penalty area and tries to pick out a team-mate with a cross, but he has to settle for a corner instead. The set-piece initially fails to result in a chance on goal but Bayern come back once again through Robben, who runs into the the box and is clumsily pulled back by Itter. Once again, the referee points straight to the spot.
88'
Another impressive piece of play by Bayern results in a chance on goal for Robben in a promising position, but this time he puts slightly too much power and swerve behind his shot and it curls several yards over the crossbar.
86'
What a chance for Robben to equalise! A deflected pass bounces into the path of Robben and sets up the Dutchman to shoot from inside the box, but just as he pulls the trigger, Knoche throws his body in the way and denies the winger an opportunity to test Casteels.
84'
V. Osimhen enters the game and replaces R. Steffen.
Wolfsburg have made their second alteration of the game, with Steffen making way for Osimhen.
82'
Tolisso drifts out wide and quickly whips a cross into the middle of the hosts' penalty area, but it's comfortably caught by Casteels before anyone in a red shirt can meet it. The Belgian goalkeeper has put in a fantastic shift today, despite the fact that he was eventually beaten by a bullet header.
80'
M. Arnold gets yellow.
Arnold catches Tolisso from behind as the two battle for the ball in the middle of the pitch, and the Wolfsburg midfielder becomes the latest player to be shown a yellow card.
Minute
Description
79'
R. Lewandowski enters the game and replaces S. Wagner.
Meanwhile, Lewandowski has come on to replace Wagner for Bayern. Can he help his side find a late winner?
78'
William enters the game and replaces S. Jung.
After initially trying to make a recovery, Jung is eventually forced off to be replaced by William.
76'
There are some concerned looks over on the Wolfsburg bench, as Jung looks to be really struggling after pulling up lame. He seemed to pull a muscle while chasing Alaba, and it's left him on the floor and in serious discomfort.
74'
Bayern have looked much better since the break, with their attacking play looking a lot faster and more assured. They're conitinuing to cause some problems for the Wolfsburg back line, but a good defensive display from the home side means the game remains firmly in the balance.
72'
Bernat can't quite guide his cross into the Wolfsburg penalty area, but the ball nonetheless ends up being picked up by Muller. He quickly shoots from 20 yards out, but he doesn't catch the ball particularly well and sends his strike high over the crossbar.
70'
Chance for Wagner! A lofted pass is fired over the top of the Wolfsburg back line and finds Muller, who tries to knock the ball to Wagner but can't quite do so. Bayern are able to keep the danger alive, however, and Rafinha then swings a cross onto the head of the big centre-forward, who rises high but can't quite hit the target with his looping effort.
68'
Robben receives the ball just outside of the Wolfsburg box and immediately goes down after being caught on the leg, but the referee waves play on. The ball bounces over to Muller and sets him up to shoot, but he's quickly closed down and can't quite guide his strike through a sea of green.
66'
D. Alaba enters the game and replaces F. Ribéry.
Bayern have made another change, with Alaba coming on to take the place of Ribery.
64'
S. Wagner has scored a goal for Bayern Munich! Assist by A. Robben.
That was a really good piece of play from Robben, and it's no surprise it came on the break. The Dutchman was able to use his pace to skip past Itter before putting the ball on a plate for Wagner.
GOAL! Bayern have equalised! Origi is dispossessed deep inside the Bayern half of the pitch and the visitors quickly counter-attack. Muller charges through the middle of the pitch and tees up Robben, who then sets up Wagner to head in from close range with a lovely cross from the right-hand side of the penalty area.
62'
T. Müller enters the game and replaces Thiago Alcântara.
Bayern have made their first substitution of the day, with Thiago, who has just returned from injury, making way for Muller.
61'
Wagner drops out of the Wolfsburg box and picks up the ball in a pocket of space. He quickly spins and unleashes a shot, but, off balance, his effort fails to trouble Casteels and flies over the top of the crossbar.
59'
Another looping cross is fired into the Wolfsburg penalty area and this time searches for Wagner, who has struggled to get involved in the game. Martinez's ball into the box is overhit, however, and the striker has to watch it sail behind for a goal-kick.
57'
And now Tolisso goes close! The Frenchman darts towards the far post and manages to latch onto a deep cross, setting him up to test Casteels. He's able to do so, but the goalkeeper pulls off a decent save to deny the midfielder an equaliser.
55'
Penalty saved by K. Casteels!
SAVE! Wolfsburg remain in front! Robben steps up and shoots, but Casteels gets his fingertips to the ball and tips the Dutchman's strike onto the post. What a stop that was!
Robben's penalty was a relatively decent one, but Casteels guessed correctly and got enough weight behind his save to keep his side in the lead. It just isn't Bayern's day!
54'
R. Steffen gets yellow.
After plenty of arguing with the referee and demands for VAR to be consulted, Steffen is eventually shown a yellow card for his last-ditch challenge.
53'
PENALTY! A low shot from Wagner is saved by Casteels, but the goalkeeper can't quite hold onto the ball and spills it towards Tolisso. The Frenchman looks set to shoot, but just as he's about to do so he's caught from behind by Steffen, leaving the referee with no choice but to point to the spot.
51'
Thiago darts into the heart of the Wolfsburg penalty area and tries to latch onto a lofted pass, but Bruma, who has put in a great shift today, darts in front of the Spain international and denies him the opportunity to reach the ball.
49'
Bayern revert to patiently knocking the ball around as they continue to try and break down the Wolfsburg back lnie, but they're unable to find a way through and once again are forcedin into retreating to the halfway line to start again.
47'
Wolfsburg immediately go on the front foot through Origi, who charges towards the edge of the Bayern box before being clattered into by Rudy to win his side a free-kick in a great position. Didavi steps up and shoots, but his curling effort can only skim the roof of the net on its way over the crossbar.
46'
We're underway once again!
45' +1
Bayern are able to push forward on one final attack before the half-time break, but a poor pass from Robben fails to pick out a team-mate inside the box and sails straight into the hands of Casteels.
45'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be just one minute of added time.
43'
Great chance for Robben to equalise! Bayern counter-attack once again - this time from a Wolfsburg corner - and Robben bursts into the box on a great run after being fed by Ribery. He takes a couple of touches and blasts a shot past Casteels, but it hits the woodwork just as the linesman's flag is correctly raised for offside.
41'
A rare attack for the home side comes to nothing, and Bayern are presented with their first real opportunity to hit Wolfsburg on a counter-attack. Wagner and Robben link up well before the latter tries to get the better of Knoche, but it's the centre-back who comes out on top and, once again, the Bavarians are unable to carve out a chance on goal.
39'
Bayern patiently pass the ball around inside the Wolfsburg half of the pitch, but they just can't seem to find a way through the sea of green camped in front of them. They're eventually forced into playing the ball all the way back to Sule, who then clumsily knocks it out of play for a throw-in.
37'
F. Ribéry gets yellow.
After spending some time reviewing the coming together, the referee decides to book Ribery, much to the displeasure of the home fans. It sounds as if they wanted the Bayern man to see red for what they saw as a deliberate arm to the face.
35'
There's a brief break in play after Steffen goes down while battling for the ball with Ribery. The Wolfsburg midfielder is claiming he was caught in the face by a deliberate flailing arm, but the Frenchman isn't at all happy with the accusation. It looks as if the referee is going to consult VAR...
33'
Bernat darts down the left wing and has to settle for a corner after being quickly closed down on the byline. Once again, the set-piece is defended well by Wolfsburg and allows them to counter-attack through the middle of the pitch, but Malli can't quite reach a lofted pass and is beaten to Bernat just outside of the Bayern box.
31'
Ribery charges down the left flank and tries to latch onto a lofted, cross-field pass, but he isn't quite able to do so and the ball bounces behind for a goal-kick. That rather sums up how frustrating the opening half an hour has been for the Bundesliga leaders.
29'
Thiago Alcântara gets yellow.
Another Bayern attacking move is well dealt with by Wolfsburg and fails to result in a chance on goal, allowing the home side to quickly counter-attack. It's Steffen who darts through the middle of the pitch and towards the visitors' half, but he's cynically fouled by Thiago before he can reach it and the Spain international is shown a yellow card.
27'
Robben's strike from the free-kick can only hit the wall, sending it bouncing behind for a corner. Wolfsburg do well to clear the danger before Bayern come back once again, but Bernat can't quite find a way into the penalty area and the hosts hold on once again.
26'
Ribery picks up the ball in the middle of the pitch and immediately charges towards the edge of the Wolfsburg box, where he's been brought crashing to the ground by a mistimed sliding challenge from Guilavogui in a dangerous position. Can they do more with this set-piece?
24'
Bayern are seeing plenty of the ball at the moment, but they're struggling to do much with it in advanced areas. Thiago looks to be through on goal after muscling his way into the hosts' penalty area, but he's penalised for a foul on Bruma and is unable to take on Casteels.
22'
Bernat is caught by a high foot from Jung, resulting in a free-kick for out wide on the left. The set-piece initially fails to result in a chance on goal before the ball bounces out to Rudy, who shoots from 30 yards out but sends his speculative effort high over the top of the crossbar.
20'
Jung charges down the right flank and looks set to whip a cross into the penalty area, but Ribery is there to poke the ball behind for a corner instead. The set-piece is another good one, but Wolfsburg are penalised for pushing as soon as Steffen forces Ulreich into a save with a thumping shot from the edge of the box.
18'
Thiago takes on Knocke deep down the right wing, but he's unable to find a way past the defender and has to settle for a throw-in near to the corner flag. It's sent in by Robben and almost finds Wagner, but Jung easily manages to get ahead of the striker and head the ball to safety.
16'
Sule goes close to equalising! Rafinha is caught by Itter as they battle for the ball out wide, and Bayern are awarded another free-kick in a decent position This time it's Robben who steps up and crosses, and he sets up Sule to test Casteels with a glancing header just five or so yards away from goal.
14'
An attempted Bayern attack fails to come to anything, allowing Wolfsburg to quickly counter-attack. Malli blasts a long pass down the left wing and towards Origi, who tries to latch onto the ball ahead of Sule but can't quite get the better of the centre-back on the edge of the Bayern box.
12'
No, they can't. Rudy steps up and shoots, but his curling strike is poorly hit and Casteels is able to watch it sail high over the top of the crossbar.
11'
S. Jung gets yellow.
Jung is caught out by Ribery out wide, resulting in the full-back clumsily fouling the Frenchman from behind just as he's about to penetrate the penalty area. Can Bayern make this free-kick count?
10'
Bayern quickly go on the front foot from the restart and look set to carve out a chance on goal through Thiago. The midfielder does well to dance his way into the penalty area before passing, but his ball into the middle of the box is poorly hit and easily cleared.
8'
D. Didavi has scored a goal for Wolfsburg! Assist by Y. Mallı.
GOAL! Wolfsburg have taken an early lead! The hosts push forward on their first attack of the game and win themselves a corner over on the left. It's sent short to Malli, who quickly curls a beautiful cross right onto the head of Didavi, setting up the number 11 to beat Ulreich with a wonderful, towering header.
That really was a wonderful cross from Malli, but the Bayern defence really should have done much better. They were caught out by the short corner and then didn't do at all well enough when trying to deal with Didavi at the back post.
6'
Bruma's clearance results in a corner, and it's one that causes a few problems for the Wolfsburg defenders. The ball pinballs around dangerously before Martinez manages to get a shot away, but his overhead kick is blocked by a sea of green and the home side are eventually able to break away over on the left flank.
5'
Vital interception by Bruma! Once again, Bernat is left in space out wide and quickly sprints into the hosts' box. He heads towards the byline and then pokes a pass towards Wagner, who looks set to shoot but is dispossessed by Bruma just as he's about to pull the trigger.
3'
Bayern enjoy a dominant start to the game as they quickly push Wolfsburg deep inside their own half of the pitch. Bernat gets himself into a good position over on the left wing and quickly tries to pick out Wagner, but he can't quite reach the striker with his cross and the home side manage to hold on.
1'
We're off! Bayern get us underway, attacking from right to left.
Good afternoon and welcome to our live text commentary of today’s Bundesliga game between Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich at the Volkswagen Arena.
Bayern have the opportunity to pick up their 10th consecutive league win if they’re victorious today, equalling the run they recorded at the start of the 2015-16 campaign. The Bavarians ended up winning the title that season by 10 points and are enjoying an even more comfortable time this campaign, with a near-perfect domestic record opening up an 18-point gap over nearest challengers RB Leipzig.
The title is Bayern’s to lose, and it’s looking increasingly unlikely that any other side will be able to catch the 27-time champions. Only Borussia Monchengladbach have managed to beat them in a Bundesliga clash since Hoffenheim came away victorious at the start of the season, with 22 of today’s visitors’ previous 23 games across all competitions ending in wins. In short, it’s set to be a very tough afternoon for their opponents.
Wolfsburg could certainly do with a rare victory against the league leaders, as a run of just one win from eight league outings has left them in a precarious position in the bottom half of the table. Seven points currently separate themselves and the dreaded drop zone, but the distance between themselves and the relegation play-off spot now stands at just one point after Mainz’s win away to Hertha Berlin last night.
Wolfsburg have managed to come away with a league win against Bayern just once since April 2009, with six of the last seven meetings between the two sides ending in victories for the current reigning champions. The Bavarians thumped their opponents 6-0 in last season’s corresponding fixture but were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw earlier this season, when Die Wolfe showed great grit and determination to come from behind in the second half.
There’s just under 15 minutes left to go until kick-off, so let’s have a look at how the two teams will be lining up this afternoon…
Wolfsburg substitutes: Max Grun, William, Elvis Rexhbecaj, Riechedly Bazoer, Renato Steffen, Victor Osimhen, Landry Dimata.
Wolfsburg XI (4-2-3-1): Koen Casteels; Sebastian Jung, Robin Knoche, Jeffrey Bruma, Gian-Luca Itter; Josuha Guilavogui, Maximilian Arnold; Admir Mehmedi, Daniel Didavi, Yunus Malli; Divock Origi.
Bayern Munich substitutes: Tom Starke, David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Joshua Kimmich, Thomas Muller, Robert Lewandowski.
Bayern Munich XI (4-3-3): Sven Ulreich; Rafinha, Javi Martinez, Niklas Sule, Juan Bernat; Corentin Tolisso, Sebastian Rudy, Thiago Alcantara; Arjen Robben, Sandro Wagner, Franck Ribery.
Martin Schmidt has decided to make four changes to the Wolfsburg side that started the defeat away to Werder Bremen last weekend, with Jung, Itter, Didavi and Origi coming into the starting line-up to replace Paul Verhaegh, William, Josip Brekalo and Osimhen, respectively.
Meanwhile, Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes has made eight alterations to the team that featured in their last outing, with only Ulreich, Robben and Ribery retaining their places in a heavily altered line-up. He clearly has one eye on Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Besiktas and has decided to rest the majority of his starting 11.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch, with just a few minutes to go until kick-off.
HALF-TIME: WOLFSBURG 1-0 BAYERN MUNICH
It's proving to be a thoroughly disappointing afternoon for Bayern, who have dominated possession but are struggling to cause problems for the Wolfsburg back line. The hosts' defence have stood firm and dealt with everything that's been thrown at them - which, to be honest, hasn't been a great deal. Heynckes decided to rest several of his best players for this game but may have to call on a couple of them after to break if his side are to have any chance of beating Casteels.
The two teams are making their way back out on to the pitch ahead of the start of the second half. Neither side have made any substitutions during the half-time break.
FULL-TIME: WOLFSBURG 1-2 BAYERN MUNICH
It was dramatic and not at all convincing, but Bayern have managed to leave the Volkswagen Arena with all three points and a 21-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga. A poor first half was followed by a better second period for the Bavarians, who were helped by the introduction of Muller and Lewandowski but are arguably lucky to have tasted victorious on a day when they were far from their best.
Commentary
More…