VfL Wolfsburg opened their 2. Bundesliga campaign with a 0-0 draw against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Friday before 25,489 spectators at the Volkswagen Arena, failing to break down a resilient visiting side despite controlling stretches of the match.
Kaiserslautern created the sharper chances early on. Simon Asta headed wide from close range in the 13th minute, and Fraser Hornby saw an effort blocked on the line by Maxwell Gyamfi in the 35th. Hauke Wahl struck the post with a volley just before halftime. After the break, Wolfsburg's 18-year-old goalkeeper Jakub Zielinski made key saves against Naatan Skyttä and Ibrahim Kanaté to preserve the clean sheet.
Head coach Tobias Strobl, making his managerial debut, acknowledged mixed phases of play. Kaiserslautern managing director Thomas Hengen had labelled Wolfsburg clear promotion favourites before kickoff, with more than 5,000 travelling fans in attendance.