Wolfsburg, Apr 23 (AP) Wolfsburg needed a reaction from its players after losing 6-1 to Borussia Dortmund last week. It got just that with a 5-0 demolition of Mainz in the Bundesliga.

Max Kruse had a hat trick as Wolfsburg scored all five by halftime.

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The win hauled Wolfsburg up to 11th to make relegation almost impossible. That's a relief after a disappointing season for the team, which played Champions League soccer in the autumn after placing fourth in the last campaign.

Jonas Wind got the scoring started in the eighth minute on the rebound, and Mainz's comeback hopes were swiftly crushed when Niklas Tauer was red-carded for a hard foul in the box on Felix Nmecha, with Kruse scoring the resulting penalty.

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Kruse scored again off a Ridle Baku pass and Wolfsburg went 4-0 up when Mainz defender Stefan Bell headed the ball into his own teammate, leaving Wind another easy finish. Kruse completed his hat trick in first half added time.

It was a game to forget for Mainz, which stayed ninth and winless in five straight league games. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)