Bundesliga football finally returned to the Volkswagen Arena on Saturday after an 84-day absence, as VfL Wolfsburg beat promoted side 1. FC Heidenheim 2-0 – thanks to a Jonas Wind double, and in front of 22,620 fans – to kick-off the 2023/24 campaign.
Head coach Niko Kovac made three changes to his line-up following the DFB Cup success over TuS Makkabi Berlin: Rogerio was suspended after his sending off in Serie A was carried over, while Lukas Nmecha missed out through injury and Jakub Kaminski began on the bench. Ridle Baku, Lovro Majer and Patrick Wimmer all began in their places. Majer was handed a start just days after arriving in Wolfsburg, and he was joined in the side by fellow newcomers Joakim Maehle, Cedric Zesiger and Vaclav Cerny. Captain Maximilian Arnold missed out due to illness.
VfL Wolfsburg: Casteels – Baku (90‘+1 Paredes), Lacroix, Zesiger, Maehle – Svanberg (87‘ Cozza), Gerhardt, Majer (66‘ Vranckx) – Cerny (66‘ Kaminski), Wind, Wimmer (66. Tomas)
Subs: Pervan (GK), Bornauw, Jenz, Pejcinovic
1. FC Heidenheim: Müller – Busch (32‘ Traore), Mainka, Siersleben, Föhrenbach – Maloney (84. Schimmer) – Dinkci (58’ Dovedan), Beck (46’ Thomalla), Pick – Pieringer (58’ Sessa), Kleindienst
Subs: Eicher (GK), Theuerkauf, Schöppner, Gimber
Goals: 1-0 Wind (6‘), 2-0 Wind (27‘)
Yellow card: Gerhardt, Wimmer, Vranckx / –
Referee: Florian Badstübner (Nuremberg)
Attendance: 22,620 at Volkswagen Arena