The relegation battle involving VfL Wolfsburg continues to intensify

Wolfsburg

Despite a stronger squad and a sold-out stadium, VfL Wolfsburg are still no closer to safety, edging a step closer to a potentially disastrous relegation to the 2. Bundesliga.

In front of Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume, the Wolves could not manage more than a disappointing 0–0 draw in Thursday evening's first leg of the relegation play-off against SC Paderborn, who finished third in the second division, and now face an anxious wait to see if they can avoid relegation in the final match of a season marred by crises.

The promotion/relegation verdict will come on Whit Monday, with Wolfsburg travelling to East Westphalia for the second leg needing to overturn a deficit. The Wolves looked blunt and short on ideas in attack. Paderborn, bolstered by a solid defensive display and home-ground advantage, can now realistically target a return to the Bundesliga after a six-year absence. Jonah Stecker will miss the return fixture after picking up a second yellow card in the 90th minute plus four.

Wolfsburg, a Bundesliga mainstay since their 1997 promotion, have twice avoided relegation via the play-offs, previously denying Eintracht Braunschweig (2017) and Holstein Kiel (2018) promotion. Historically, the advantage lies with the top-flight club: since the play-offs were reinstated in 2008/09, the second-tier side has prevailed on only three occasions.

SCP reached the top flight in 2014 and 2019 via direct promotion, only to be relegated after a single season each time. Coach Ralf Kettemann labelled the potential return a "once-in-a-lifetime chance", insisting there was "significantly more to gain than to lose".

VfL Wolfsburg lacked conviction – Biblija squandered a golden opportunity

VfL Wolfsburg started the campaign eyeing European qualification but soon found themselves mired in a relegation fight. Nevertheless, the hosts looked calm in the opening minutes. Nevertheless, their build-up play was error-prone, as Paderborn's early pressing forced them to recycle possession from the back. The hosts handled the resulting long balls with ease.

SCP sustained the early pressure and carved out the first clear chance: Santiago Castaneda's close-range effort was blocked by a desperate double save from Jeanuel Belocian and goalkeeper Kamil Grabara (9). The contest then settled into a balanced affair, though chances remained scarce. Denis Vavro (23') fired over from distance, while Adam Daghim (32') saw his effort from a tight angle saved by SCP goalkeeper Dennis Seimen. Wolfsburg's superior individual quality failed to tell as Paderborn remained compact and ready to break.

Even after the break, Wolfsburg struggled to carve out clear final-third opportunities. Frequent fouls and miscommunication disrupted the rhythm. VfL playmaker Christian Eriksen worked hard to impose himself, yet the Dane could not produce his typical moments of brilliance. Seimen confidently saved an Eriksen free-kick in the 67th minute. At the other end, Paderborn substitute Filip Bilbija wasted a golden chance to steal the lead in the 84th minute.