Bayer Leverkusen 3 Wolfsburg 0: Substitute Hernandez stars for hosts

Bayer Leverkusen recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over Wolfsburg on Friday to move up to fourth place in the Bundesliga.

Julian Brandt opened the scoring in the 27th minute, exchanging passes with Hakan Calhanoglu before sending a shot beyond visiting goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.

Sent on at the start of the second half after scoring in Mexico’s World Cup qualifier last week, substitute Javier Hernandez doubled Leverkusen’s advantage with his 15th Bundesliga goal of a highly productive season.

The 27-year-old, who had failed to find the net for his club in their last five fixtures, was allowed time outside the area to curl home a low, right-footed effort that left Benaglio rooted to the spot.

Hernandez then set up fellow substitute Vladlen Yurchenko to score Leverkusen’s third in the 87th minute, meaning Wolfsburg are now winless in three Bundesliga matches heading into the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Leverkusen have won their past three league fixture to sit fourth in the standings, albeit temporarily, as fifth-placed Schalke face Ingolstadt on Saturday.