Second Bundesliga: Cottbus stage astonishing comeback in Wolfsburg: “That was passion”

Energie Cottbus supporters were still celebrating long after the final whistle after their team turned an apparently hopeless 3-0 deficit into a 4-4 draw at heavily favored VfL Wolfsburg.

Wolfsburg took control early. Robert Glatzel scored from a fourth-minute penalty and added another in the 34th minute, while Vinícius Souza struck in the 25th. Luca Erlein gave Cottbus a lifeline with a goal in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, but the visitors still went into the break 3-1 down.

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What we achieved here in the second half was passion, everything that makes football what it is.

Cottbus coach Pele Wollitz said he had been furious at halftime. “With this naivety, we have no right to play in this second division,” he said, while also acknowledging that his side had played well with the ball. The defensive errors, he added, would normally be enough to break a team.

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With this naivety, we have no right to play in this second division.

Instead, Cottbus launched a remarkable second-half recovery. King Manu made it 3-2 in the 49th minute, and Tolcay Cigerci converted a penalty in the 67th to level the match. Substitute Mattias Svanberg restored Wolfsburg’s lead in the 79th minute, but Cottbus continued to attack.

Wolfsburg defender Mathys Angély received a second yellow card in the 88th minute. Playing against 10 men, Cottbus equalized through Dmytro Bogdanov in the 91st minute. “What we achieved here in the second half was passion, everything that makes football what it is,” Wollitz said. Defender Axel Borgmann called the comeback a source of pride, particularly against a Wolfsburg side he described as the clear favorite and better team.

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If you are 3-0 down after 35 minutes, then in that moment it already feels like a victory to me.