Firmino seals the points for TSG

Holger Stanislawski was able to welcome back midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson to the starting line-up after his knee injury. Fabian Johnson suffered a slipped disc on Tuesday, so the Icelandic international Sigurdsson was a suitable replacement. Peniel Mlapa was replaced by Chinedu Obasi in midfield.

It took 15 minutes for TSG to test the opposition goal. Chinedu Obasi darted down the wing and his cross was acrobatically met by captain Andreas Beck. The strike, however, was not the cleanest and keeper Hitz had no trouble with the save. The game was being played in a tenacious fashion, with a number of petty fouls being committed by both sides. Then, on the half-hour mark, Ryan Babel, last week's two-goal hero, suddenly found space and unleashed a stinging drive at goal. Keeper Hitz seemed to have the shot covered, but somehow spilled it into the left-hand corner. It was a goal out of nothing, which the keeper really should have saved. Three minutes later and it was 2-0. Roberto Firmino danced his way into the penalty box and slotted home with the outside of his foot. Firmino later received a yellow card for an over-exuberant celebration in which he removed his shirt.

Despite trailing 2-0, Wolfsburg were finding space in the Hoffenheim half. Unfortunately for Felix Magath's side, they were not able to take full advantage of some good positions. In the 32nd minute, they came close when Tom Starke parried a fizzing inswinging corner and Marcel Schäfer was unable to convert the rebound after being blocked by Firmino. Magath made his first substitution shortly before half-time, replacing Jan Polak with Ashkan Dejagah.

Stani made no changes to his side at half-time, while his opposite number made his second. Ja-Cheol Koo was brought on in place of Rasmus Jönsson. Chance fell to both sides in the early part of the second half, as first Mario Mandzukic was denied by Starke (54) and then Gylfi Sigurdsson could only fire straight at the legs of Hitz when well-placed (58). Looking to introduce some fresh legs to the team, Stanislawski replaced Sigurdsson with Knowledge Musona for his first appearance in a Hoffeheim shirt, while Mlapa came on for Obasi. And the Zimbabwean Musona nearly made an instant impact, firing just over the bar from 25 yards.

Hoffenheim had had chances to make the game safe, but were pegged back to 2-1 in the 67th minute. Mandzukic won an aerial duel and the ball fell kindly to Dejagah, who slammed a shot high into the net. Wolfsburg could sense an equaliser, but were nearly caught out on the counter-attack. Musona played in Firmino, but, after rounding keeper Hitz, he sent his shot wide of the far post. Then the game turned on its head, as Marwin Hitz received a straight red card from referee Marco Fritz for apparent dissent towards the officials. Since Wolfsburg had already made their substitutions, Makoto Hasebe had to don the keeper's jersey and gloves and spend the remaining ten minutes in goal.

The Japanese midfielder was beaten just five minutes later, as Musona released Firmino and the Brazilian's shot found the right-hand corner. Firmino was later replaced by Daniel Williams, and received a standing ovation as he left the field. Hoffenheim saw the game out and continued their best ever start to Bundesliga season.

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