Wolfsburg miss chance to pull clear of relegation zone

Wolfsburg 0-0 Augsburg

Wolfsburg failed to score for the fourth time in their last five matches while missing a golden opportunity to put some daylight between them and the relegation playoff sport.

Both sides struggled to find anything approaching fluency early on, as the first half passed almost entirely without incident.

Sensing an opportunity to pull clear of those below them, the hosts came out after the break with an increased sense of purpose, if not end product. Daniel Didavi came close to a low whipped cross with a diving header before substitute Divock Origi blasted a fierce effort straight at Marwin Hitz.

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Augsburg were largely content to contain but almost broke the deadlock with a moment of magic that looked out of place even as the contest was heating up. Marco Richter found himself a pocket of space and wriggled brilliantly free before dinking a delicate chip that clipped the bar and fell back to safety.

It was Wolfsburg's turn to rattle the woodwork soon after, Paul Jäckel beating Hitz but not the crossbar. The hosts continued to have the better of the play and Origi should really have put them in the lead in the 72nd minute, when a right wing cross from Paul Verhaegh reached him at the front post. But the Liverpool striker, who has netted just once in his last 17 appearances, guided a free header wide.

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Augsburg's Jan Morávek and Ohis Felix Uduokhai of Wolfsburg both saw red for a pair of bookable offenses in the second half, while Hitz was forced to make a smart save from Verhaegh in injury time.

But it wasn't to be and Wolfsburg's attentions will now turn to Mainz's hosting of Freiburg on Monday night. A win for Mainz will see them pull level on points with Wolfsburg, while Freiburg, leapfrogged by Wolfsburg after this match, could pull further away from danger.