Bayern Munich might have won 21 of their last 23 meetings with VFL Wolfsburg but, heading into Wednesday night’s Bundesliga clash at the Allianz Arena, Hansi Flick knew that another three points was far from a given.
Not only were Olvier Glasner’s well-drilled side the only unbeaten team in the division, they also had a 6ft 6ins penalty-box predator on the prowl.
So imagine Flick’s relief when, after 90 nail-biting minutes in Bavaria, Bayern had a 2-1 win to savour.
The treble-winners had succeeded where so many of their domestic rivals had failed this season – they kept the irrepressible Wout Weghorst off the scoresheet.
“With Weghorst they have one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga,” Flick said before the game, via Kicker. “He’s greedy for goals and he’s a good size. They have a very good weapon there.”
Weghorst scored seven times in five matches before Wolfsburg’s trip to the Champions – and 11 in 16 games overall. The late-blooming Dutchman might have only joined the Wolf pack in 2018 from AZ Alkmaar but he is already the fourth most prolific goal-scorer in the club’s Bundesliga history.
On this form, Arsenal should have few qualms about renewing their summer interest in a £32 million giant who, at 6-and-a-half feet tall, would turn Mikel Arteta’s cross-heavy game plan into a genuinely effective attacking tactic (BILD).
“(Weghorst) always gives full throttle, (he) does everything to score goals,” former Arsenal and Wolfsburg coach Andries Joncker explained to SportBuzzer last week.
“Journalists called me and asked if he would be able to play for Arsenal. Yes, of course. If you can be successful in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg and, if you keep knocking on the door of the Dutch national team, then you have to be able to be successful in England too.
“I’m not thinking of clubs like Manchester City or Chelsea, but all other clubs fit. So Arsenal would fit very well.”
One thing is for sure, Flick and co would be happy to see the back of Weghorst.
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