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CSKA Moscow
Champions League | Group Stage
Nov 25, 2015 at 5pm UK
 
Wolfsburg

0-2

FT(HT: 0-0)
Akinfeev (67' og.), Schurrle (88')

Live Commentary: CSKA Moscow 0-2 Wolfsburg - as it happened

Take a look back at how Andre Schurrle inspired Wolfsburg to victory over CSKA Moscow with Sports Mole's text coverage.
2

Andre Schurrle came off the bench to give Wolfsburg's Champions League hopes a boost with a 2-0 victory over CSKA Moscow.

Chances were difficult to come by for long spells, but it was Wolfsburg who made the vital breakthrough midway through the second half when substitute Schurrle saw Igor Akinfeev allow his shot to sneak in.

The World Cup winner wrapped up the win late on with an emphatic half volley as CSKA saw their hopes of reaching the knockout stage dashed.

Read below to find out how the action unfolded.


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Hello everyone! A few more questions are sure to be answered tonight as teams bid to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League, and our focus is on Group B. CSKA Moscow currently sit bottom of the group on four points, two points behind third-placed Wolfsburg. The Russian side will be knocked out if they lose tonight. Stick with me for all of the action.

Wolfsburg are currently level on points with PSV Eindhoven and just one behind Manchester United at this stage, but with the Premier League side to come in their final match, Dieter Hecking will be aware that his side really could do with a victory this evening. It's all up for grabs in Group B.

CSKA may still be in with a chance of progressing, but they need to produce a response to their recent poor form which has seen them lose their last four games in all competitions. Leonid Slutsky's side are capable of producing their best in Europe and the pressure is on the hosts to take the game to Wolfsburg.

CSKA: Akinfeev; Fernandes, Berezutski, Ignasevich, Nababkin; Dzagoev, Wernbloom; Tosic, Milanov, Musa; Doumbia
SUBS: Chepchugov, Vasin, Cauņa, Golovin, Natcho, Panchenko

The evening starts with good news for CSKA as Seydou Doumbia is passed fit by the club's medical staff after he was initially expected to miss the game due to injury. Vasili Berezutski is absent to a stomach problem, while Ahmed Musa and Zoran Tosic are both included on the wings.

WOLFSBURG: Benaglio; Trasch, Naldo, Dante, Schafer; Guilavogui, Arnold; Vieirinha, Kruse, Caligiuri; Dost
SUBS: Casteels, Klose, Jung, Schurrle, Rodriguez, Bendtner

As expected, Luiz Gustavo is unable to make the Wolfsburg squad as he continues to battle with a back injury and Julian Draxler also misses out. Josuha Guilavogui is partnered by Maximilian Arnold in the centre of midfield, while Vieirinha gets the nod ahead of Andre Schurrle.

"CSKA are top of the league in Russia," Hecking told reporters in his pre-match press conference. "They lost their last game but that will have no impact on our meeting with them. This fixture is also very important to them and they will be under more pressure than us. The onus is on them to attack and they are more than capable."

Wolfsburg's head coach Dieter Hecking wathes his team warm up prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match VfL Wolfsburg vs Hertha BSC Berlin in Wolfsburg, central Germany on September 19, 2015© Getty Images


PREDICTION: It's prediction time. CSKA are a difficult team to judge following their recent struggles, but we've seen over the years just how good they can be at home. The key will be how well Wolfsburg attack and whether the likes of Max Kruse and Daniel Caligiuri can get in the game regularly. I'm sitting on the fence. 1-1.

Here we go then. The players are in the tunnel, and we're just a few handshakes and a famous anthem away from kickoff now.

KICKOFF! CSKA get the game underway and immediately look to get the ball forward quickly to Doumbia, who is beaten in the air by Naldo.

No surprises from the opening exchanges. Guilavogui and Arnold will not be going beyond the ball too often, and the visitors are looking to limit the space on offer to CSKA.

Doumbia drops deep to get involved and turns quickly to find Musa, whose touch is heavy as Naldo allows the ball to roll through to Benaglio.

The early signs are promising for Hecking, who is watching his side dominate possession at the moment. Dost gets the first sight of goal when he meets Trasch's cross, but his header drifts well wide of the target.

Two touches, two efforts on goal from Dost. The second one is even less threatening than the header as he sends a shot sailing over the crossbar from 25 yards.

Caligiuri does well to win a free kick for his side on the left wing, but the opportunity is wasted as Vieirinha's delivery is cleared at the front post. Good defending from Schafer stops Musa from sprinting clear on the break.

Break in play when Milanov clashes heads with Guilavogui, but CSKA's attacking midfielder looks like he should shake off the knock.

Not much to report in the opening 15 minutes. Wolfsburg certainly look the more comfortable of the two sides as CSKA struggle with retaining possession further up the pitch. Doumbia has barely had a kick.

YELLOW CARD! Musa picks up the first booking of the evening for a tackle from behind on Guilavogui, who was attempting to drive forward from midfield.

It isn't quite clicking for CSKA. Doumbia, Tosic and Musa are all too close to each other on the edge of the box as a promising move breaks down.

You get the feeling that the first goal is going to be vital tonight. Dost is quickly crowded out by three CSKA defenders when Wolfsburg look to step up the tempo in the final third of the pitch. The defenders are dominating.

Much better from CSKA. Milanov beats a couple of defenders and his low cross is only cleared to Dzagoev, who earns a yard and fires wide from the edge of the box.

YELLOW CARD! Fernandes slides in to challenge Caliguri, and despite getting plenty of the ball, he leaves one foot high. The full-back is furious, but the referee is quick to show him the yellow card.

Schafer almost gets his side in trouble with a poor pass to Dante, who is beaten to the ball by Doumbia. Luckily for Wolfsburg, Naldo is alert to the danger and he clears before Doumbia can test Benaglio.

Good football from Wolfsburg. Caligiuri attracts the attention of a couple of defenders when he comes in from the left, before sending the ball out wide to Trasch, whose low cross is left by Akinfeev and just rolls past Dost.

Doumbia collects a bouncing ball and creates space for a shot which finds the side-netting. Benaglio had it covered but that is better from the hosts.

SAVE! Akinfeev makes the first save of the night. Dost reacts to Trasch's chipped pass with a clever cushioned header to Kruse, whose powerful half-volley is beaten away by the CSKA goalkeeper.

Chance for CSKA on the break when Musa finds space to find Doumbia, but the striker's attempt at a return pass is poor as Dante cleans up.

Tosic is really struggling to get in the game. Caligiuri tracks back to dispossess the winger, who wanted far too much time on the ball with space in front of him. It's a game crying out for some extra quality in attacking areas.

Oh dear. Wolfsburg's corner is headed to Caligiuri, whose volley from 25 yards is high and wide of the target. He'll want to forget that one.

The final ball has not been good enough from CSKA. Fernandes gets into a good position before failing to play in Doumbia with a through ball. CSKA win possession back, but Milanov's cross drifts out of play.

HALF TIME: CSKA 0-0 WOLFSBURG

Very few chances to report from the first half, but it will be Wolfsburg who are the happier of the two sides. CSKA are under pressure to take to the game to the visitors and they just have not been good enough on the ball. One goal will change the game, and it might just be enough to win it.


As it stands, Wolfsburg would move up to second and draw level with leaders Manchester United on seven points. A victory would be a huge result for the Bundesliga side ahead of the meeting with Louis van Gaal's men.

RESTART: Viktor Vasin is off the bench to replace Ignashevich for the hosts. Will CSKA take a few more risks?

CSKA make a bright start to the second half as Wolfsburg are forced to clear a corner, before a free kick is only punched back out by Benaglio. Milanov brings down the loose ball and his low shot forces the Wolfsburg keeper to push the ball wide.

Frustration for Musa in the box as his poor control allows the ball to get away from him after good work from Dzagoev.

Caligiuri is left frustrated when the ball pops up and hits him on the arm to halt a promising counter attack. Musa then ignores his teammates at the opposite end to shoot wide from 25 yards.

Good defending from Trasch in the box as he makes a vital tackle on Doumbia, whose clever footwork allowed him to beat Naldo and Dante.

SHOT! Arnold has been quietly impressive tonight, but he almost makes a huge impact when he connects with a 25-yard half-volley. Akinfeev does well to hold the low strike.

Doumbia twists and turns in the box in an attempt to find space for the shots, before checking back to find Wernbloom, whose effort is always flying over the crossbar.

SUB! Hecking makes his first change of the night as Schurrle replaces Caligiuri.

OFF THE POST! CSKA come agonisingly close to break the deadlock. Some good build up play on the edge of the box ends with the ball being knocked back to Tosic, whose powerful strike rattles the inside of the post and bounces kindly for Benaglio. Wernbloom picks up a booking for stopping the break from the visitors. CSKA just inches away.

Schurrle runs out of space on the wing as he looks to lead the break and the former Chelsea attacker then takes a painful blow to the side of the head from Dzagoev, who only had eyes for the ball in the tackle.

GOAL! CSKA 0-1 WOLFSBURG (SCHURRLE)

Schurrle returns to the pitch after that blow to the head and the substitute finds the opening goal. It is a moment to forget for Akinfeev, though. A long ball over the top is too long for Dost, but his touch on the stretch plays in Schurrle. The World Cup winner has no right to score from a tight angle but Akinfeev gets it all wrong as the ball slips under his arm and over the line. Replays show the shot may even have been going wide. Disastrous moment for CSKA.

CLOSE! CSKA threaten to hit back immediately but Wolfsburg enjoy a slice of luck. Musa is given far too much space on the left side of the box, but his powerful low cross hits Dante and Schafer before eventually rolling into Benaglio's arms.

Akinfeev's error might steal the headlines tonight, but he makes a vital contribution to ensure CSKA remain in this game. Schurrle runs beyond the CSKA defence once again before seeing his shot deflected past Dost. Vieirinha looks set to get to the loose ball but Akinfeev reacts to clear the danger on the slide.

SUB! Slutsky is forced to take more risks now as left-back Nababkin comes off to be replaced by midfielder Natcho.

CSKA are seeing much more of the ball, but the Wolfsburg midfield have dropped deeper to make it difficult and the visitors are defending very impressively. There will be chances on the break. Dost relieves the pressure on his side by winning a free kick on the halfway line.

Doumbia half-heartedly appeals for a penalty when he attempts to get on the end of a cross, but it is a great challenge from Arnold to prevent the striker from unleashing a shot.

SUB! Kruse's night comes to an end as Sebatian Jung is sent on by Hecking.

Wolfsburg are managing the game well in midfield, but a poor pass on the break almost gets them in trouble. CSKA go long to Musa, whose first touch is poor and Naldo gets back to make a vital tackle.

SUB! Wolfsburg use their final change to replace Dost with Nicklas Bendtner.

GOAL! CSKA 0-2 WOLFSBURG (SCHURRLE)

Game over! CSKA are heading out of the Champions League group stage once again. It's great work on the wing from Jung as he delivers a low cross, but Schurrle is the hero once again as he connects with a brilliant half volley to find the bottom corner. Akinfeev was helpless. Brilliant finish.

SUB! Kirill Panchenko replaces Dzagoev for the closing stages.

OFF THE POST! Bendtner almost adds gloss to the scoreline late on as he cuts inside and strikes the outside of the post with a curling effort.

CSKA continue to search for a late response, but Wolfsburg are holding firm as Naldo and Dante continue to excel at the back.

FULL TIME: CSKA MOSCOW 0-2 WOLFSBURG

Superb display from Wolfsburg, who go top of Group B thanks to Schurrle's impressive cameo off the bench. CSKA's hopes are ended with the defeat, but Wolfsburg will now be keeping a close eye on Man Utd vs. PSV. That's all from our live coverage. Goodbye everyone.

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Manchester United's Dutch manager Louis van Gaal looks on during a UEFA Chamions league group stage football match between CSKA Moscow and Manchester United at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England on November 3, 2015
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