VfL Wolfsburg secured a convincing 5-2 away victory at Karlsruher SC in the 2. Bundesliga on Saturday afternoon. Under manager Ralph Hasenhüttl, the team played a key part in a high-scoring matchday where three games produced a total of 22 goals.
After falling behind 2-0 early on, Wolfsburg turned the game around before halftime and delivered a composed defensive performance in the second half. This win lifts Wolfsburg to fourth place in the current 2026 season standings, with four points from two games (one win, one draw), sitting five points behind leaders Hertha BSC.
The start in Karlsruhe could not have been worse for the visitors. Shio Fukuda put KSC ahead in the seventh minute. Just five minutes later, Marvin Wanitzek made it 2-0, assisted by Louey Ben Farhat, who was making his first starting lineup appearance of the season. Wolfsburg's response was swift. Alexander Bernhardsson pulled one back in the tenth minute for 1-2. The key moment came in the 28th minute when Fabian Reese equalized from about 25 meters out. The former Hertha BSC player was booed by the Karlsruhe fans, a reaction linked to a fan friendship with his old club. In first-half stoppage time, Vinícius Souza finished off a move to make it 3-2. Karlsruhe goalkeeper Hans Christian Bernat was not entirely blameless for at least two of the goals conceded.
After the break, Karlsruhe found few openings against a much more stable Wolfsburg defense. The visitors controlled the game and added more goals late on. In the 88th minute, Hauke Wahl headed in from a set piece for 4-2. Fabian Reese, operating on the left side, put the final touch on the win in the fifth minute of added time with his second goal of the day. The team now has a positive goal difference of 1:0 from two league matches.
The other two 1 PM kick-offs also produced a goal festival. 1. FC Heidenheim came from behind to beat Dynamo Dresden 5-3 after trailing 1-0 at halftime. The game turned after Dresden's Thomas Keller received a red card in the 69th minute. Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt thus ended a negative run following a 4-1 loss to Hertha and a 5-2 cup exit against fourth-tier SSV Jeddeloh II. Jan Schöppner (67'), an own goal by Friedrich Müller (77'), Oualid Mhamdi (87'), Julian Niehues (89'), and Maximilian Breunig (90'+1) scored for Heidenheim.
SpVgg Greuther Fürth celebrated their first win of the season with a 4-3 victory over Energie Cottbus. This match was also tied 1-1 at halftime after Lucas Copado scored for Cottbus in the sixth minute. Detailed statistics for all matches are available on our stats page.
The clear win in Karlsruhe propels VfL Wolfsburg into the upper echelon of the 2. Bundesliga. With four points from two matches, the team currently occupies fourth place. Their record shows one draw and one win. The gap to league leaders Hertha BSC is five points. The complete league overview can be found in the standings. The positive goal difference of one scored and none conceded shows the defensive solidity shown so far this season.
The next challenge for Wolfsburg arrives on September 5, 2026. The team will host Energie Cottbus, currently in seventh place, at their home stadium. It's a direct opportunity to continue the positive momentum and close in on the top of the table. All upcoming fixtures are listed in the fixtures calendar. After the offensive shows in Karlsruhe, the team will aim to carry that confidence forward.
