SC Paderborn has earned promotion to the German Bundesliga. The Ostwestfalen club secured their ascent by defeating VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 in the relegation playoff return leg, following a 0-0 draw in the first match.
Unlike the first encounter, which featured few standout moments, the return leg got straight to the action. VfL Wolfsburg took the lead early on in the third minute through an attack led by Dzenan Pejcinovic. Konstantinos Koulierakis found Adam Daghim on the left side, who delivered the ball to Pejcinovic in the center. However, less than ten minutes later, Joakim Maehle put Wolfsburg at a numerical disadvantage, receiving a yellow card twice within a short period.
Following this, Paderborn dominated possession. Although resulting corner kicks did not yield a goal, a throw-in in the 39th minute led to the equalizing goal. Calvin Brackelmann passed the ball to Filip Bilbija, who headed it in from close range.
The game flow remained similar after halftime, though the home team missed several high-quality opportunities to completely turn the match around. As the second half progressed toward the middle, Paderborn seemed to lose some pace, allowing Wolfsburg to gain some relief. In the final phase, SCP increasingly relied on high crosses directed toward the substitutes, Steffen Tigges and Sven Michel. In stoppage time, Paderborn veteran Michel again struck the post, pushing the match into extra time.
During the extra time, Michel proved successful as a provider. His cross allowed Laurin Curda, who had been awarded a free-kick, to score the decisive goal in the 100th minute. Although Wolfsburg pushed for a late equalizer afterwards, SCP goalkeeper Dennis Seimen made crucial saves in the final minutes.
This outcome marks the first time in VfL Wolfsburg’s history that they have been relegated from the Bundesliga, abandoning 29 consecutive years in the top flight. For Paderborn, this represents their third promotion to the highest level of German football, following promotions in 2014 and 2019.
