De Bruyne Guides Wolfsburg To Spirited Win

In desperate need of a Europa-League win, Wolfsburg beat Krasnodar 4-2, but were made to work much harder than the scoreline suggests. Belgian Kevin de Bruyne made the difference in attack, scoring two.



Krasnodar were the more active side from the start, Naldo doing just enough to distract Mauricio Pereyra from getting his shot on target. Ari kept posing a problem in attack and his flick for Ricardo Laborde nearly resulted in the opener, but the winger found the wrong side of the netting. Diego Benaglio then had to claw off the line after Ari's flick left Robin Knoche standing.



A slight lull in play was abruptly ended when Wolfsburg took the lead. Neat passing on the edge of the area ended when Kevin de Bruyne was found and his shot was spilled by the sprawling feet of Dykan in the Kransodar goal. Ivica Olic was in the right place and, taking a bang to the knee in the process, the Croatian converted from close range.



Building on their first lead in the Europa League this season,Wolfsburg had goalkeeper Benaglio to thank for it staying 1-0 at the break - the Swiss stopper keeping out the lively Ari.



Goal flurry in second half







Holding only a narrow lead, Wolfsburg couldn't have wished for a more perfect start to the second 45 minutes. Kevin de Bruyne finished a strong solo run with a neat finish at the near post to double the visitors' lead after only a minute of second-half football.



Within five minutes though, the home side had pulled one back after a controversial penalty. Naldo was harshly judged to have handled the ball when it appeared to hit his shoulder, but Krasnodar captain Andreas Granqvist made no such mistake from the spot.



With the next game potentially decisive, Wolfsburg's Luiz Gustavo delivered the decisive blow shortly after the hour mark. The Brazilian midfielder took one touch on the edge of the area before curling a weighted effort into the far corner.



Sloppy finish



Benaglio denied Odil Akhmedov, but as the hosts kept searching, Belgian de Bruyne once again took advantage on the break, finishing well to make it 4-1 after a neat one-two with substitute Vieirinha.



With the game all but won, Wolfsburg got sloppy and afforded Krasnodar too much space - substitute Wanderson poked home to reduce the deficit by one. In stoppage time, Benaglio saved on the line to make sure seven goals weren't scored on the night.



The three points are much needed for Wolfsburg. Their first Europa-League victory. of this season leaves them in second in a very tight Group H.