High-flying Wolfsburg dare to dream

Dieter Hecking's celebrations betrayed both relief and triumph as his VfL Wolfsburg side edged out VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach to return to winning ways after two successive defeats.

Beaten 3-2 at FC Schalke 04 last weekend, Wolfsburg lost 2-0 at home to Everton FC in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, missing a number of chances. It was with no little relief, then, that Robin Knoche tucked away the first real opening against Gladbach on Sunday, the central defender finding the net after a corner had not been fully cleared.

"We showed some outstanding team work today," said Hecking. "It's one of our strengths to have so many different goalscorers, so we're not easily anticipated." Indeed, veteran striker Ivica Olić is the club's top Bundesliga scorer with five goals, ten other players sharing the remaining 20.

"This was very important, as we'd had two bad results before today," said winger Vieirinha after his team had ground out victory against Mönchengladbach, although sporting director Klaus Allofs was more effusive. "In the past few weeks we have often played with heart but no brains. Today we played cleverly. Often we went full throttle for 90 minutes but failed to change our rhythm. Today we knew how to. That was our certain something."

So can second-placed Wolfsburg repeat their 2009 feat, when they surprisingly came out of FC Bayern München's shadow to win the Bundesliga? According to Hecking, no. "Everyone can see that we're not yet 'the Bayern hunters', it's a media tag," he said. "If you want to hunt something, there has to be a realistic chance for you to catch it in the end. I don't see that chance at the moment."

Seven points behind Bayern, Hecking's team have nevertheless progressed since the coach's appointment in December 2012. Having secured top-flight safety in his first season, he took Wolfsburg into Europe in his first full campaign – in 2013/14 – so the next aim is obvious. "If we played in the Champions League next year, that would be outstanding," Hecking said.

While Wolfsburg ponder how to close the gap to Bayern – with European success to further grow the club's reputation a key part of the plan – the focus, for now, is on the short team. "We want to continue like this," said Vieirinha. "Keep working, so we can stay in this place."