Wolfsburg ended Bayern Munich's unbeaten Bundesliga run in style as they won 4-1 at the Volkswagen Arena tonight to keep the title race alive.
Bas Dost and man of the match Kevin de Bruyne bagged two apiece as their side became the first to beat Bayern in domestic competition since April 2014.
The result also takes second-placed Die Wolfe to within eight points of the league leaders, and they likely have Andre Schurrle arriving from Chelsea to boost their pursuit.
In the first Bundesliga match since a six-week winter break, Munich were caught cold on four minutes as De Bruyne burst through the middle to square for Dost to finish tidily beyond Manuel Neuer.
De Bruyne was at the centre of further Wolfsburg chances, with a fizzed cross just evading Maximilian Arnold and a swerving shot on the half-hour mark missing the far post only narrowly.
The Belgian was not involved in Wolfsburg's stoppage-time second, which was all about Dost as the striker rifled a 20-yard volley into the top corner after a set piece had been cleared to him.
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Bayern had more than their fair share of efforts on goal in an end-to-end opening 45 minutes, with David Alaba and Bastian Schweinsteiger working Diego Benaglio from long range and the Germany captain sending an unmarked header wide.
If Munich's unbeaten season was in jeopardy at the break, it was hanging by a thread within seven minutes of the restart as De Bruyne got a deserved goal by running onto Arnold's pass and tucking past Neuer.
Pep Guardiola's side are not easily beaten, though, and they sowed the seeds for what would have been a remarkable comeback when Juan Bernat tapped home from close range, after his heavy touch had bounced back to him off an unwilling defender.
The champions began pressing Wolfsburg back, but that suited the visitors and they posed a real threat on the break, with Dost and Arnold forcing Neuer into action and Luiz Gustavo drilling wide from 20 yards.
Bayern continued to leave themselves open and this time De Bruyne would not let them off the hook. He outpaced Dante before twisting the defender and thrashing emphatically into the roof of the net on 73 minutes.
Arjen Robben and Claudio Pizarro were denied by Benaglio late on, but the margin of victory was fair and could actually have been greater on a night when Dost and Daniel Caligiuri missed golden chances.
Putting four past Munich, who had previously only conceded that many all season, was nevertheless a strong statement that Wolfsburg are not giving up on the Bundesliga crown, and was a fitting tribute to midfielder Junior Malanda, who died in a car crash over Christmas.
Joe Fish
