Three Shots, Three Goals, Three Points – and a Side of Nervous Energy

As a Bayer fan, you know the drill: an away day in Wolfsburg is rarely something to get the pulse racing. The stadium? Functional. The atmosphere? Meh. The opponent? Solide Langeweile. And yet – our Werkself brought just the right amount of spark to turn this trip into a proper statement. Especially in that first half, where the boys played like they had dinner reservations and no time to mess around.

Three shots on goal, three goals. That’s not efficiency – that’s clinical madness. Hofmann, Tapsoba and Tillman didn’t just score, they dismantled Wolfsburg’s game plan before it even had a chance to unfold. Cool in possession, razor-sharp in front of goal, and composed like a team that’s not just trying to win, but trying to mean business this season. You almost had to rub your eyes and ask: is this really Bayer 04?

And then came the second half. Because of course it did. We switched off just enough to give Wolfsburg a lifeline, and suddenly it felt like we were watching a familiar rerun: shaky defending, second balls lost, and one goal against that could’ve turned into more. VAR saved us from conceding a second, Flekken stepped up big-time, and we managed to ride it out. Just about.

That’s the frustrating part. When we’re on, this team looks like it belongs in the Champions League. But we still give teams too many windows to climb back in. That said – let’s not get too grumpy. This win wasn’t lucky. It was earned in 45 minutes of mature, purposeful football. García continues to pull strings like he’s been here for years, Hofmann looks reborn under Hjulmand, and Tillman is grabbing his chances with both feet.

Now it’s on to Manchester City, then Dortmund at home. No time to relax. But if this team brings that first-half energy into these next two games, we might finally start believing that this isn’t just another "strong Bayer autumn" – but the beginning of something real.

For now, we’ll take the three points, enjoy the view from the Champions League spots, and try not to think about 2000.