Bayern Munich Eliminate Wolfsburg from the 2015 - 2016 DFB Pokal

It's a shame that Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg had to meet one another so early in the 2015 2016 DFB Pokal. Wolfsburg won their first title in the German Cup just this past spring, beating Borussia Dortmund in the final to clinch the trophy. Bayern Munich, meanwhile, are the frontrunners to win this year, thanks to their continued domination in the German Bundesliga. This match-up could have very easily made for an exciting final in May of next year. It's rather baffling that it is instead taking place in October, making it disappointing that Bayern Munich eliminate Wolfsburg at such an early stage.

Regardless, it's cool to see the DFB Pokal competition heating up so quickly. Both Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg easily won their round one fixtures, topping the Stuttgarter Kickers and FC Nottingen, respectively. The rest of the first round more or less followed that rubric, too, with major top-flight football clubs beating lesser, lower-tier teams without issue.

An Easy Win for Bayern Munich

However, while the Bayern-Wolfsburg match-up sounded, on paper, like it would offer some explosive competition, that wasn't actually the case in real life. On the contrary, the Bavarians easily defeated the Wolves, scoring three goals in the first 35 minutes to have the victory locked down by halftime.

Indeed, it only took 15 minutes for Douglas Costa to open the scoring, firing a gorgeous shot into the Wolfsburg goal off a Thomas Muller assist. Muller would go on to net two goals of his own, the first at the 20-minute mark. Costa got another scoring opportunity, just five minutes after his first, but was denied. Luckily, David Alaba was there to pick up the rebound and set Muller up for his first goal of the fixture. Alaba and Muller teamed up for a second goal in the 34^th minute.

Muller nearly made it a hat trick before the first half was out, this time on an assist from Costa. Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio did some good work in the net, though, swatting away Muller's shot. He also blocked an effort from Thiago Alcantara. In other words, Bayern Munich could have very easily been up 5-0 by the half.

Benaglio blocked additional close calls by Costa and Arjen Robben in the second half. It was Andre Schurrle who ultimately saved Wolfsburg from complete embarrassment, though, scoring at the 90-minute mark to at least put the Wolves on the board.

Wolfsburg: Weaker Than They Look?

In some ways, it's odd that Wolfsburg collapsed so easily under the strain of the Bayern Munich attack. Sure, the Bavarians are one of the top two or three soccer clubs in the world. But Wolfsburg finished second in the Bundesliga last season and are currently sitting fourth on the 2015 2016 standings. The Wolves also beat Borussia Dortmund comfortable (3-1) to win the DFB Pokal last season.

Wolfsburg even beat Bayern Munich this past summer, winning a penalty shootout to claim the German Super Cup title. Of course, the Wolves also fell 1-5 against the Bavarians this fall, as Robert Lewandowski tallied a record-breaking five goals in less than five minutes.

So how come Wolfsburg have had such trouble against Bayern Munich this fall? Are they weaker than they look as a soccer club or are the Bavarians just unusually skilled at foiling their usual play strategies?

To be fair, it's worth noting that Bayern Munich had something to prove in this DFB Pokal match. The Bavarians were out to win a third straight German Cup in the spring but were famously foiled by Borussia Dortmund in the semifinals. Dortmund, despite having a terrible 2014 2015, managed to hold the Bavarians to a 1-1 draw and then beat them in the penalty shootout. The win was a last hurrah of sorts for Jurgen Klopp, who resigned his position as Borussia Dortmund's manager shortly thereafter.

Some football fans wondered if Bayern's loss against Dortmund was a fluke-particularly after Dortmund failed to hold their own against Wolfsburg in the final. By handily beating the Wolves in the second round of the 2015 2016 DFB Pokal, Bayern Munich have effectively proven that, yes, it was a fluke.

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