Whirlwind Wolfsburg storm past Werder 5-3
By Karolos Grohmann BERLIN (Reuters) - VfL Wolfsburg dazzled their way past hosts Werder Bremen 5-3 on Sunday, fighting back from a goal down three times and scoring three goals in five minutes to cut the gap on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich to eight points. In a hugely entertaining game, Dutchman Bas Dost and Daniel Caligiuri scored two apiece as the Wolves maintained their sparkling form with a sixth win in seven games, keeping them in second place on 50 points, a club record after 23 matches. Wolfsburg also equalled a club best 11 successive games without defeat and Dost equalled a Bundesliga record after netting eight times in three games. "There some exceptional games that we have been delivering lately," Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking, who had the luxury of leaving World Cup winner Andre Schuerrle on the bench at the start, told reporters. "This one was a wild game at times. In the second half we did it well with our passing and combinations," he said. Bayern are on 58 points after crushing Cologne 4-1 on Friday. For Werder, who were in equally fine form going into the game, it was their first defeat since mid-December and they dropped to ninth on 30. In a furious start both teams had scored twice by the 18th minute with Werder twice taking the lead and Wolfsburg responding on both occasions. Teenager Levin Oztunali, a nephew of former Germany great Uwe Seeler, delivered two superb assists for Zlatko Junuzovic and Franco Di Santo but Wolfsburg's Caligiuri and Maximilian Arnold hit back for the visitors. Felix Kroos's shot was deflected in by Vieirinha at the post for a renewed Bremen lead but that would be their last noteworthy attack. Wolfsburg roared back in the second half with Dost, who took his season tally to 13 goals, scoring in the 48th and 51st minute to put the visitors ahead for the first time. Caligiuri drilled in their fifth goal two minutes later as they delivered the killer punch and Werder failed to threaten in the entire second half. Borussia Moenchengladbach are 10 points behind Wolfsburg in third place after beating promoted Paderborn 2-0 thanks to two deflected goals to maintain their Champions League hopes for next season. United States international Fabian Johnson struck in the 18th minute and substitute Patrick Herrmann added another nine minutes from time as Paderborn went forward for the equaliser, the ball again bouncing off a defender's legs to surprise keeper Lukas Kruse. Gladbach are four points clear of fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen. (Editing by Ed Osmond)
