Leverkusen convincing winners against Wolfsburg

Leverkusen claimed a third straight win, all without conceding a goal, to improve their prospects of Champions League qualification, while the result may have ended Wolfsburg's hopes of a top-four finish.

Roger Schmidt's side led at the interval at the BayArena thanks to a fine strike by youngster Julian Brandt, who exchanged passes with Hakan Calhanoglu before slotting low past Diego Benaglio from the edge of the area.

Hernandez, just back from international duty across the Atlantic, emerged from the bench in the second half and made it 2-0 with an excellent curling strike in off the far post.

And fellow substitute Vladlen Yurchenko also got his name on the scoresheet, his first Bundesliga goal coming before the Chilean midfielder Charles Aranguiz came on to make his debut for Leverkusen.

Aranguiz had signed on at the BayArena last summer after helping his country win the Copa America, only to succumb to injury almost immediately.

Schalke 04 and Borussia Moenchengladbach will both hope to climb back above Leverkusen later this weekend.

Schalke go to Ingolstadt while Gladbach face a tough test at home to Hertha Berlin, who are third, on Sunday.

The defeat was hardly ideal preparation for Wolfsburg ahead of their Champions League quarter-final, first leg against Real Madrid next Wednesday.

Dieter Hecking's side have gone three Bundesliga games without a win and are eighth in the table.