A one-man show by Brazilian playmaker Diego, who scored two goals and set up the other, lifted struggling VfL Wolfsburg to a 3-1 win over Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Sunday and their second victory in three games.
Diego, who won the Europa League on loan at Atletico Madrid last season, but was left on the bench by Magath, curled in a stunning long-range free-kick after four minutes and notched his third goal in three games from close range after a layoff from Dutchman Bas Dost.
Dost grabbed one for himself after the roles were reversed when Diego started the move with a delightful chip to the charging Marcel Schaefer, who cut the ball back for the forward to score.
Stefan Kiessling pulled one back in stoppage-time for his seventh goal of the season.
“If you have to wait until Nov. 11 for your first home win of the season then you can imagine how we feel,” Wolfsburg interim coach Lorenz-Guenther Koestner said.
In other action on Sunday, Europa League competitors Hannover 96 staged a spectacular comeback, recovering from 2-0 to crush hosts VfB Stuttgart 4-2 with Mohammed Abdellaoue scoring twice in five minutes in a thrilling game.
Christian Gentner and Vedad Ibisevic with a spot-kick gave the hosts a 2-0 lead at halftime, before Artur Sobiech and Jan Schlaudraff, with another penalty, drew Hannover level.
Norwegian Abdellaoue tapped in from close range in the 69th minute and converted the third spot-kick of the game awarded for a foul on Lars Stindl to lift Hannover to sixth place.
Borussia Moenchengladbach were in similar battling mood, twice coming back from a goal down for a 4-2 win over SpVgg Greuther Fuerth, who had two players sent off.
The hosts led 1-0 thanks to a 10th-minute Bernd Nehrig penalty, but two minutes later they had Thomas Kleine sent off with a straight red for bringing down Patrick Herrmann outside the box.
It did not take long for ’Gladbach to make their advantage pay. Hermann broke free on the right to cross for defender Oscar Wendt to head in, but Fuerth went back in front through Edgar Prib, before ’Gladbach struck twice in six minutes through Herrmann and Martin Stranzl.
Thorben Marx’s 90th-minute penalty after Milorad Pekovic got his marching orders for a handball completed the comeback.
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