Hannover 96 vs 16.08.26 11:300 – 1Full Time
VfL Wolfsburg — 2. Bundesliga: stats, lineups & analysis
Match report
Reese penalty gives Wolfsburg win at Hannover
Hannover 96 fell 1-0 to VfL Wolfsburg in a 2. Bundesliga matchday two fixture at the Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena, with a late penalty proving decisive. The two sides could not be separated for long spells, with the scoreline goalless at half-time and remaining so until deep into the second half.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
The breakthrough arrived in the 87th minute when Fabian Reese converted from the penalty spot to put Wolfsburg ahead, a strike that ultimately settled the contest. Hannover, who had shared possession fairly evenly across the match, were unable to find a response in the closing minutes.
Wolfsburg made their efficiency count despite seeing less of the ball, while Hannover's failure to convert territory into clear chances proved costly. The result lifted Wolfsburg to fourth in the table on four points, while Hannover remained without a win, sitting 17th after two matches played.
Hauke Wahl was rated the top performer on the pitch with a mark of 7.7, helping Wolfsburg hold firm defensively before Reese's late intervention settled the game.
Wolfsburg had seven shots on target compared to Hannover's two, underlining their greater clinical edge in front of goal.
VfL Wolfsburg won 1–0 away against Hannover 96 (half-time 0–0).
Hannover 96 met VfL Wolfsburg in the 2. Bundesliga (Regular Season - 2). Kick-off was Sunday, 16 August 2026, 11:30 UTC at Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena. Referee: Timo Gansloweit.
Team pages: Hannover 96 · VfL Wolfsburg · 2. Bundesliga
Key moments
- 87' Goal (penalty): Fabian Reese — 0–1 · Watch Fabian Reese's goal video (87')
Starting line-ups
Hannover 96 (3-3-1-3)
VfL Wolfsburg (5-4-1)
Sirius · Why these numbers
Before kick-off Sirius gave Hannover 96 37%, the draw 30%, VfL Wolfsburg 33%. It finished Hannover 96 0–1 VfL Wolfsburg.
Home ground outweighs VfL Wolfsburg's rating edge — VfL Wolfsburg are the stronger side on our strength rating, but home ground plus Hannover 96's control of the ball give Hannover 96 the lean. The draw at 30% is lifted by the early-season fade in home wins.
Why Hannover 96 at 37%?
Home ground, against the rating. VfL Wolfsburg sit 55 points higher on our strength rating — 1652 to 1707. Sides with a 50–100-point rating edge on the road won 32.9% of 10,513 such games. Hannover 96 hold 10 more possession points (56 to 46 in recent games) — and between equals, control has been worth something. Between evenly-matched sides, home teams with this control edge won 47.9% of 5,165 games, vs 44.0% when styles were level.
Why only 37%?
Because VfL Wolfsburg are the stronger side on our strength rating. VfL Wolfsburg sit -0.47 goals per game below chance-quality — cold streaks like this have bounced back. Visitors this cold went on to win 32.5% of 1,305 games, vs 28.9% for visitors finishing normally. Both sides are inside their first six league games — home wins land softer this early in the season, so this trims Hannover 96's column. Across 10,596 opening-stretch games since 2010, home sides won 42.8% where the rating map expected 44.9%, with draws up 2.1 — negative in every season since 2018.
Why the draw at 30%?
With a rating gap this size the draw starts at 28.3%. These teams' recent games average 2.8 goals — a typical goals environment. Games in that environment drew 24.6% of 24,797. Early-season fixtures add 2.1 points to the draw.
What did we measure but not count?
Last 6 between them: Hannover 96 1 win, 1 draw, VfL Wolfsburg 4 wins. Most recently VfL Wolfsburg 3–1 Hannover 96, 7 years ago. Fixture history hasn't carried forward once class is level: past leaders won just 28.1% of 5572 such games — no measurable edge, 0 points.
Sirius probabilities, frozen at kick-off. Analysis, not betting advice. How Sirius is doing this season · Full breakdown, evidence cards and squad news in the Match Insights tab
About this match
On this page: the Hannover 96 vs VfL Wolfsburg final score and result, goal highlights and video clips of every goal, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this 2. Bundesliga fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from Hannover 96 0–1 VfL Wolfsburg. Explore more on the Hannover 96 and VfL Wolfsburg team pages or the 2. Bundesliga page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of Hannover 96 vs VfL Wolfsburg?
VfL Wolfsburg won 1–0 away against Hannover 96 (half-time 0–0).
›Who scored in Hannover 96 vs VfL Wolfsburg?
Fabian Reese (87') (penalty) for VfL Wolfsburg.
›Where can I watch Hannover 96 vs VfL Wolfsburg highlights?
Goal highlights and video clips from Hannover 96 0–1 VfL Wolfsburg are on this page — open the videos tab to watch every goal.
›What is the head-to-head record between Hannover 96 and VfL Wolfsburg?
Hannover 96 and VfL Wolfsburg have met 10 times — 1 win for Hannover 96, 6 wins for VfL Wolfsburg and 3 draws.