Paderborn strike late to relegate Wolfsburg from Bundesliga

Paderborn’s Laurin Curda scored in extra-time to grab a 2-1 home win in the second relegation playoff leg on Monday and relegate 2009 Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg 2-1 on aggregate.

The narrow win returns Paderborn to the Bundesliga after six seasons, while ending Wolfsburg’s 29-year run in the top flight.

Wolfsburg, who played all but 14 minutes with 10 men, became just the second top-flight team in the past 14 seasons to be relegated in the two-legged playoff.

Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking, who won the German Cup with the side in 2015 and returned to try and beat the drop, told German TV he was “profoundly disappointed.

“We tried absolutely everything — and the players invested everything they had — in an effort to keep the team in the league.”

Dzenan Pejcinovic gave Wolfsburg the lead early but two yellow cards inside three minutes to Joakim Maele reduced the Wolves to 10 men.

“Look, we could discuss it, but it’s ultimately futile to do so, because the referee made his decision, even if we view that incident in a completely different light,” Hecking said.

Buoyed by their one-man advantage, Paderborn laid siege to the Wolfsburg goal and Filip Bilbija levelled things up just before the break with a far post header.

The Wolves managed to keep the hosts at bay and force extra-time but Curda broke through in the 99th minute to put his side on course for victory.

The Volkswagen-owned Wolves, who reportedly have the fifth most expensive side in the Bundesliga, had hoped to challenge for a European spot this season but will now play in the Bundesliga 2 for the first time since 1997.

The match was just three minutes old when Pejcinovic hit a low shot into the bottom corner to give the Wolves the lead.

With 11 minutes gone, Maele saw yellow for kicking the ball away in a scuffle. Moments later, the Dane received his marching orders after sliding in recklessly and connecting with Mattes Hansen’s knee.

It was the earliest a player had been sent off in the history of the relegation play-off.

Paderborn turned up the pressure and Bilbija broke through just before the break, heading in at the back post.

In extra-time, home forward Sven Michel, who was part of the Paderborn side promoted in 2018-19, floated a cross from the left to the feet of Curda, who volleyed home to send the home fans into raptures.