Wolfsburg continued their unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season by beating Schalke 04 at the Volkswagen Arena.
An impressive start from the hosts was rewarded in the 18th minute when Bas Dost volleyed home from Christian Trasch's inviting cross.
Schalke improved as the match progressed, but their hopes were ended when Wolfsburg scored twice in three second-half minutes as Ricardo Rodriguez slotted home a penalty before Timm Klose found the space to volley in his side's third of the night.
Read below to find out how the action unfolded.
7.00pmGood evening everyone. The third round of Bundesliga matches get underway this evening, and we have a brilliant game for you to follow as Wolfsburg host Schalke at the Volkswagen Arena. Both teams have claimed a win and a draw so far, but who will come out on top this evening?
7.03pmIt's a meeting between two of the biggest clubs in Germany tonight, and both sides will have similar targets for this season. Wolfsburg are in the Champions League group stage, but their target will be to qualify once again after finishing second last season. Roberto Di Matteo could only lead Schalke to sixth spot after replacing Jens Keller. Andre Breitenreiter succeeded the Italian in the summer and the pressure is on the former Paderborn boss to take Schalke back into the top four.
7.05pmWOLFSBURG: Casteels; Trasch, Naldo, Klose, Rodriguez; Gustavo, Guilavogui; Vieirinha, Kruse, Caligiuri; Dost
SUBS: Grun, Bendtner, Schafer, Hunt, Schurrle, Arnold, Knoche
SUBS: Grun, Bendtner, Schafer, Hunt, Schurrle, Arnold, Knoche
7.08pmThe big news tonight is that Kevin de Bruyne is not involved for Wolfsburg as he closes in on a move to Manchester City. Ivan Perisic has also been omitted from the squad, with reports suggesting that he will join Inter Milan before the transfer deadline. Christian Trasch, Daniel Caligiuri and Josuha Guilavogui come into the side following last week's 1-1 draw with FC Koln.
7.10pmSCHALKE: Fahrmann; Kolasinac, Riether, Matip; Geis, Draxler, Aogo, Sane, Neustadter; Huntelaar, Choupo-Moting
SUBS: Gspurning, Caicara, Meyer, Goretzka, Di Santo, Hoger, Ayhan
SUBS: Gspurning, Caicara, Meyer, Goretzka, Di Santo, Hoger, Ayhan
7.13pmSchalke were disappointing in a 1-1 draw with Darmstadt 98 last Saturday and Breitenreiter has responded by making four changes to his side. Sascha Riether, Leroy Sane, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Roman Neustadter are all recalled. Julian Draxler does start as he continues to be linked with Juventus. Franco Di Sato and Max Meyer are both on the bench.
7.15pm
5 - @s04_en have won 5 of their last 7 encounters with @VfLWolfsburg_EN (D1, L1). Favourite.
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) August 28, 20157.18pmKEY MAN: With De Bruyne and Perisic appearing to be on the way out and Andre Schurrle only just returning from a thigh injury, Wolfsburg could enter the transfer market to look for a creative player. Tonight, however, Daniel Caligiuri is under pressure to take charge of this game for the visitors. Wolfsburg need him to get on the ball as much as possible. How he links up with Bas Dost will be crucial.
7.22pmLAST SEASON: De Bruyne rescued a point when these two sides last met in April. The Belgian cancelled out Leroy Sane's opener in a 1-1 draw at the Volkswagen Arena. Choupo-Moting scored twice in a 3-2 victory for Schalke in the reverse fixture.
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7.24pm
Here's a sneak peek at the #S04 dressing room at the Volkswagen Arena. 30 minutes until kick-off! #WOBS04 pic.twitter.com/xs26SZ8Z4L
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) August 28, 20157.28pmPREDICTION: Kickoff is now just a couple of minutes away, so it's time for my prediction! Wolfsburg are much weaker without De Bruyne and Perisic, and how they cope without them will decide how successful the season will be for Hecking's side. I'm expecting goals tonight. 2-2 draw.
1 minKICKOFF: Draxler and Huntelaar get the game underway for the visitors. Plenty of noise coming from both sets of supporters already.
2 minWolfsburg have started the brighter of the two sides. Schalke are pushed back by Vieirinha on the left but the visitors eventually clear. He will see plenty of the ball tonight.
4 minHecking will be very happy with what he is seeing at the moment. Wolfsburg are pressing the ball high up the pitch and Schalke are finding it tough to create space in possession. Good defending on show.
5 minGood work from Vieirinha as he loses Sane with a clever piece of skill, but his cross is too strong for Dost and Caligiuri. Wolfsburg on top in the early stages.
7 minSchalke are chasing shadows as Wolfsburg pass the ball around patiently before stepping up the tempo. The ball eventually reaches Gustavo, who hits a tame effort straight at Fahrmann from 25 yards.
9 minSAVE! Brilliant goalkeeping from Fahrmann. Rodriguez delivers an inviting free kick which Dost clips on before Geis sticks out a leg. The deflection sends the ball towards the bottom corner but Fahrmann responds well to push it to safety.
12 minHuntelaar has barely had a kick, but he does well to flick on a long ball. Wolfsburg get back quickly, though, to halt a counter-attack in its early stages. Schalke need to find a way to retain possession.
14 minNaldo, one of the strongest players you will see in the Bundesliga, goes down after Sane brushes against his back. The Schalke youngster can't believe the free kick is given, but Naldo does well to relieve the pressure close to the corner flag.
15 minSuperb work from Neustadter, who times his challenge to perfection to win possession after Vieirinha and Dost had created a 2-on-2 situation for a moment.
17 minGOAL! WOLFSBURG 1-0 SCHALKE (DOST)
18 minWolfsburg take a deserved lead after a fine start to this match. A patient passing move ends with the hosts shifting the ball out wide to Trasch, who delivers an inch-perfect cross to allow Dost to volley home from six yards out. It was poor marking, but you must applaud the move.
20 minHuntelaar is urging Schalke to defend higher up the pitch. You can understand his frustration. Wolfsburg look completely untroubled in possession as they continue to dominate proceedings. Fahrmann gets away with a poor clearance when Caligiuri fouls Kolasinac.
22 minWolfsburg just keep on coming at Schalke, who look all over the place on the ball and defensively. Guilavogui wins the ball in midfield before picking out Vieirinha, who fires an effort over from around 25 yards.
23 minCHANCE! Incredibly, Schalke should probably be level. Wolfsburg are caught out at the back when Geis drifts out wide. He pulls the ball back for Sane, whose effort is blocked by Naldo. Superb defending, but Sane probably didn't need to take a touch.
25 minWolfsburg turn defence into an attack quickly when Vieirinha lofts the ball over the Schalke defence, but Dost is adjudged to have gone too early. I'm not too sure. It looked like an excellent run.
27 minCHANCE! Schalke are slowly growing in confidence now as Choupo-Moting and Sane start to come inside more often. Riether finds space on the right to deliver a cross which is deflected into the path of Sane, whose strike takes a touch off a defender on the way to drifting wide.
29 minCHANCE! Are Schalke going to regret this miss? Wolfsburg lose possession in a dangerous area, which allows Choupo-Moting to receive the ball on the right side of the box. Huntelaar has barely had a sniff of goal and he is unable to keep his effort from sailing over after being picked out in the middle. It's a great opportunity for the Dutchman.
31 minSchalke are asking all of the questions now. Aogo's free kick is delivered into a decent area and it is cleared as far as Draxler, who bursts into the space before Casteels collects when the ball comes across the six-yard box.
34 minExcellent skill from Vieirinha as he releases Trasch with a back-heel on the wing. The full-back delivers another inviting cross, but Fahrmann is off his line to collect after the ball drifts over Dost's head.
36 minVieirinha has been very good so far, but he makes the wrong decision after finding space on the right. The ball should be delivered to Dost, who is left frustrated when the cross goes behind him after making a run towards the front post.
39 minWolfsburg are controlling the tempo again following a worrying spell for the home defence. Schalke certainly look capable of causing more problems, but Draxler needs to be involved more often.
40 minRiether almost gifts Wolfsburg their second goal with a weak pass to Fahrmann, but the Schalke goalkeeper is quick enough to clear before Kruse can capitalise on the mistake.
42 minSchalke are certainly improving as the match progresses. The midfield, in particular, have stepped up their efforts as Aogo and Geis begin to see more of the ball in deep positions. Choupo-Moting almost collects a long ball on the right of the box, but Casteels does well to get there first.
45 minIt's the visitors who are dominating possession in the closing stages of the first half, but Wolfsburg are doing an excellent job of closing down the likes of Sane and Draxler. A long spell of possession ends with Geis sending a speculative effort wide.
8.15pmHALF TIME: WOLFSBURG 1-0 SCHALKE
8.17pmThe first half has raced by at the Volkswagen Arena and Wolfsburg take a lead into the break. A superb start from the hosts was rewarded in the 18th minute when Dost finished a fine team move by volleying home. Schalke have improved after starting sluggishly, but they face a battle to overturn the deficit.
8.20pmDe Bruyne is in the stands watching tonight, but reports are suggesting that his Man City move could be confirmed tomorrow. You've got to give credit to Vieirinha and Kruse, who have stepped up in his absence to take charge of the game in attacking areas. Wolfsburg are certainly capable of creating chances without the Belgian, but he will be a huge miss.
8.24pmCan Wolfsburg hold off the visitors? They're talking a good game on Twitter. The next goal will be key.
HALF-TIME! The Wolves have been the better side so far and lead 1-0 thanks to Bas #Dost. Keep it up, boys! #WOBS04 pic.twitter.com/oTAI7CYG79
— VfL Wolfsburg EN (@VfLWolfsburg_EN) August 28, 20158.27pmBENCH WATCH: It could depend on how long the score stays 1-0, but if Wolfsburg invite more pressure from the visitors, Hecking could use Schurrle's pace to stretch the game. Nicklas Bendtner is also an option after he scored last week.
Schalke have Di Santo as an alternative Huntelaar, who has been kept on the fringes of the game after missing a good chance to equalise. Max Meyer and Leon Goretzka could also add some creativity in midfield.
8.29pmThe players are back out at the Volkswagen Arena. It will be Schalke who get the game underway as they look to continue their unbeaten start to the season by getting back into the game.
46 minDe Bruyne has been busy taking pictures with fans at the break on what is likely to be his last visit to this ground as a Wolfsburg player. Neustadter makes a decent run off the ball on the left but Trasch gets back well to head a lofted ball to Casteels.
47 minCLOSE! Schalke are agonisingly close to getting back on level terms with a stunning strike from Geis, who capitalises on a loose ball to hit a half-volley just past the post from 25 yards.
49 minSchalke are on top early in the second half as only an important interception prevents Choupo-Moting from collecting a clever through ball from Sane. Much better from Breitenreiter's side.
51 minYELLOW CARD! Gustavo is furious when he picks up a booking for a tackle on Geis. He didn't come off the ground, but the referee decides that the studs showing makes it a dangerous challenge.
52 minYELLOW CARD! Riether is the second player to receive a caution, despite appearing to get the ball with a challenge on Klose. A replay shows that the former Wolfsburg defender raised his foot after the tackle.
54 minCHANCE! A familiar combination should bring Wolfsburg a second goal. Trasch has been excellent going forward from right-back and he delivers another fine cross to pick out Dost, who can only head wide from close range. Big chance for the hosts.
56 minCHANCE! Moments after almost falling two goals behind, Schalke threaten to get back on level terms. Draxler delivers an inch-perfect pass through to Huntelaar, who chips the ball over Casteels from a tight angle. Choupo-Moting is in the six-yard box ready to tap home, but Naldo manages to clear the danger.
58 minPENALTY! This is straight from the training ground. Rodriguez drills a low corner towards the penalty spot and Gustavo gets there first before going down under a foolish sliding tackle from Kolasinac.
59 minGOAL! WOLFSBURG 2-0 SCHALKE (RODRIGUEZ)
60 minRodriguez never looked likely to pass up the opportunity as he sends Fahrmann the wrong way to double Wolfsburg's lead. Kolasinac may have just condemned his side to defeat. It was a silly tackle on Gustavo, who was clever enough to take a touch with the sliding tackle coming.
61 minGOAL! WOLFSBURG 3-0 SCHALKE (KLOSE)
62 minIt's all over now! Rodriguez is on the corner once again and Klose adds the finishing touch with a fantastic volley at the near post to leave Fahrmann helpless. Schalke are all over the place while defending the set-piece, but the finish was superb from the defender.
63 minSUB! Breitenreiter decides to make a change as the ineffective Choupo-Moting comes off to be replaced by Di Santo.
65 minMuch better from Draxler as he drops deeper before finding Huntelaar with the high ball. The Dutch striker wins the first challenge, but Klose steps in to clear before he can unleash a shot.
67 minCHANCE! Naldo initially does very well with a sliding tackle on Di Santo in the box, but Schalke then create another opportunity from the corner as the ball is flicked to Huntelaar, who can only head wide of the post.
70 minPoor from Kolasinac as he breaks forward on the left before slicing a cross over the crossbar with Huntelaar and Di Santo waiting in the box.
71 minSUB! Sane's night is over as Goretzka comes off the bench to join the Schalke midfield.
72 minYELLOW CARD! Brilliant work from Guilavogui as he combines with Caligiuri to get out of a tight space on the wing before winning a free kick. Aogo picks up a yellow card for the challenge on the midfielder.
73 minSUB! Draxler has been unable to get involved on a regular basis tonight and he comes off to be replaced by Meyer. Could that be Draxler's final appearance in a Schalke shirt?
75 minCHANCE! Goretzka does well to carry the ball forward before picking the right pass to find Huntelaar on the left of the box, but the Dutchman can only miscue his effort high and wide of the target. That's three great opportunities missed by Huntelaar.
76 minSUB! Hecking turns to the bench for the first time as Schurrle replaces Caligiuri.
79 minWolfsburg are happy to keep men behind the ball now as Schalke struggle to find space further up the pitch. Schurrle and Vieirinha are providing the width as the hosts continue to attack at pace when they do win possession.
80 minSUB! Dost comes off for the final 10 minutes as Bendtner gets the opportunity to add to his tally of three goals in all competitions this season.
81 minSchalke send men forward for a free kick from the left, but Geis attempts to surprise Casteels with a low effort which hits the side-netting. The Wolfsburg goalkeeper never looked troubled.
84 minWolfsburg are cruising to the final whistle as they continue to handle everything from Schalke with apparent ease. A weak back pass from Neustadter almost gifts Bendtner a chance, but Fahrmann manages to clear before the striker can take advantage.
86 minThe pace has definitely slipped down a couple of gears. Wolfsburg don't seem to be too desperate to hit Schalke on the break as they look to protect the clean sheet. Huntelaar appears to be through again, but a poor touch lets him down and the hosts eventually clear.
87 minSUB! Kruse has enjoyed a fine evening behind the striker and he gets a good reception on the way to being replaced by Maximilian Arnold.
90 minWolfsburg are determined to prevent Schalke from snatching a consolation. The visitors are dominating possession as we approach the final whistle, but Wolfsburg continue to work hard without the ball.
9.17pmFULL TIME: WOLFSBURG 3-0 SCHALKE
9.19pmAs the case often appears to be in the Bundesliga, the referee decides not to add on any extra minutes. Wolfsburg pick up all three points thanks to a clinical performance on a night when both De Bruyne and Perisic were left out as they close in on moves away from the club. Goals from Dost, Rodriguez and Klose were enough tonight as Schalke struggled defensively throughout the match.
9.21pmThat's all from our live coverage tonight. Wolfsburg climb to the top of the table for a few hours, while Schalke remain on four points. Thanks for following the action with Sports Mole. Goodnight.
