Brentford and Wolfsburg shared eight goals in a pulsating pre-season friendly on Friday evening.
Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, Mathias Jensen and Kevin Schade were on target for the Bees at Gtech Community Stadium.
Mads Roerslev, Ethan Pinnock and Vitaly Janelt, absent for the trip to Vicarage Road last weekend, returned to the side for the west Londoners' final pre-season friendly of the summer. Ivan Toney was among the substitutes.
The first chance fell to the visitors. Jakub Kamiński exchanged passes with Patrick Wimmer on a foray down the left flank and his deep cross was sent acrobatically high and wide by Kevin Paredes.
On 13 minutes, Janelt seized on a loose ball and played a short pass forward for Jensen, who dragged off target from 20 yards.
Brentford were in front five minutes later. Christian Nørgaard brought the ball under his spell with a sublime first touch and released Kristoffer Ajer in an advanced position on the left. The defender’s low cross into the box was slowed by a slight deflection, and Mbeumo peeled away to drill home from eight yards.
The Bees doubled their lead moments after the restart, and it was a goal made by Janelt’s aggression and determination. The German robbed compatriot Maximilian Arnold on the edge of the box and found Wissa in space with a short pass. The forward opened the angle with a sharp first touch and fired low beyond Kamil Grabara.
Wolfsburg pulled a goal back on 34 minutes. Kevin Behrens was first to meet Arnold’s deep cross from the left but didn’t connect cleanly with his diving header and Wimmer reacted fastest to poke over the line from inside the six-yard box.
Wissa then headed wide at the front post having been found by Jensen with a devilish in-swinging delivery.
Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side levelled four minutes before the break. Kamiński looped a free-kick into the box and Maxence Lacroix ghosted in at the back post to volley past Mark Flekken.
Having advanced to the edge of the area, Wimmer sent the ball skimming just wide of Flekken’s right post.
Toney replaced Wissa at the interval and had his first attempt on goal six minutes into the half.
A smart free-kick routine involving Mbeumo and Jensen saw the ball worked to the England international inside the box, but he was denied by an outstretched Grabara with the assistant’s flag raised for a marginal offside.
Seconds later, at the other end, Yannik Gerhardt sent the ball dipping just over the crossbar having been found on the edge of the area by Lovro Majer.
Grabara’s reflexes were on full display again just after the hour mark as he launched himself to his left to push away Toney’s audacious effort from all of 30 yards.
The Bees re-took the lead on 65 minutes. After a spell of pressure, Mbeumo pounced on Sebastiaan Bornauw’s poor clearance and saw his first-time shot bounce back off the base of the post. The ball rolled perfectly into the path of Jensen, who lifted into the roof of the net with a composed, side-footed finish.
10 minutes later, Majer played a one-two with Wimmer and crossed low into the box from the byline. Behrens was denied by Flekken from close range and Nørgaard read the danger to block Kaminski’s attempt on the follow up.
Wolfsburg weren’t to be denied a third goal in TW8. Kaminski’s cross was headed away by Nørgaard and when Wimmer scuffed his volley, the ball sat up perfectly for Arnold to arrow into the bottom corner from inside the D.
On 81 minutes, some smart play from Toney allowed substitute Mikkel Damsgaard’s pass to roll through for Schade, and the German raced clear of the visitors’ backline and beat the on-rushing keeper with a smart finish.
Nathan Collins made two brave blocks to deny Behrens, but there was to be one last twist in the tale.
Five minutes before the full-time whistle, Kamiński’s in-swinging corner was flicked on by Bornauw at the front post and Wimmer stabbed home from close range.
Flekken then tipped Wimmer’s curling effort over the crossbar in the final action of a frantic friendly.
Brentford: Flekken; Roerslev (Trevitt 79), Collins, Pinnock (Ji-soo 79), Ajer; Nørgaard (Onyeka 79), Janelt (Yarmoliuk 79), Jensen (Damsgaard); Mbeumo, Schade (Peart-Harris 83), Wissa (Toney HT)
Subs not used: Eyestone, Cox, McManus, Konak
Wolfsburg: Grabara, Bornauw, Lacroix, Zesiger, Kamiński, Behrens (Wind 85), Majer (Fischer 85), Arnold, Gerhardt, Wimmer, Paredes
Subs not used: Pervan, Cozza, Tomás, Jenz, Svanberg, Bröger, Amoako, Braun, Benedict
Attendance: 10,633
Frank: We can sort out defensive 'red flags' before PL opener
Thomas Frank was pleased that the Bees' "red flags" were highlighted in Friday's friendly against Wolfsburg, so they can work on them ahead of the Crystal Palace fixture on Sunday.
Reflecting on the eight-goal thriller, Frank stated: “We are doing everything we can to make the fans happy!
“We were very positive going forward, very exciting going forward - that's a big plus.
“Obviously we can also see what we need to work on for the next nine days before we face Crystal Palace: defensive set-pieces, that is clear, it’s normally we’re normally very good at.
“But it’s nice that the red flag came today and we’ve got the opportunity to sort it out before Sunday.”
On the return of Ivan Toney, he added: “It was very good to have him back, very good. I thought he looked sharp, seeing as he was out for three weeks. He looked good.”
Mbeumo: Confidence is high ahead of Palace visit
Forward Bryan Mbeumo was impressed by Brentford’s offensive play during the 4-4 draw with Wolfsburg.
“We scored four goals and created very good chances,” he said.
“We need to focus on the defensive side, especially the set-pieces, before next week.”
Asked about his third goal of pre-season, Mbeumo responded: “It’s really important to get the confidence going and for a forward it’s always nice to score. I felt good today. I have big aims; I’m putting demands on myself.”