VfL Wolfsburg has been relegated from the Bundesliga following a 1-2 loss away to Paderborn after extra time in the second leg of their two-legged relegation playoff on Monday, with the visiting side going down to 10 men early in the game.
Wolfsburg has been an ever-present in the German top flight since their promotion in 1997, but Laurin Curda’s goal 10 minutes into the extra period earned Paderborn their third promotion to the Bundesliga.
After the first leg ended scoreless, Wolfsburg looked set for survival when Dzenan Pejcinovic put it ahead in the third minute, but Paderborn equalised seven minutes before half-time through Filip Bilbija.
Matters became more difficult for Wolfsburg when Joakim Maehle was sent off 11 minutes after the opening goal, picking up two yellow cards in the space of three minutes.
After equalising, Paderborn missed a series of chances, with Wolfsburg goalkeeper Kamil Grabara making several saves. The visiting side held on to force extra time, where Curda’s volley decided the tie.
Wolfsburg, league champion in 2009 and German Cup winner in 2015, survived two successive relegation playoffs in 2017 and 2018, while Paderborn’s two previous appearances in the top flight both ended in immediate relegation.
Published on May 26, 2026