The Volkswagen Arena was the stage for a tense and closely fought Bundesliga relegation playoff first leg on Thursday evening, as VfL Wolfsburg hosted SC Paderborn 07 with both sides acutely aware of the enormous stakes on offer. Wolfsburg, fighting to preserve their top-flight status after a deeply disappointing campaign, entered the match as favorites but were left frustrated by a combination of wasteful finishing and inspired goalkeeping from Paderborn’s Jonas Seimen. The goalless draw leaves the tie delicately poised ahead of the decisive return leg in eastern Westphalia, where Paderborn will now hold a slender advantage.
Wolfsburg’s season has been one of turmoil and underachievement. Having finished 16th in the Bundesliga, the Wolves narrowly avoided automatic relegation only by edging out Bochum in the final standings. Manager Ralph Hasenhüttl, brought in during the winter break to steady the ship, has struggled to coax consistent performances from a squad that still boasts considerable talent. The failure to secure safety directly placed them in this two-legged tie against the third-placed finisher from the 2. Bundesliga, a position that carries both historical peril and opportunity.
Paderborn, by contrast, arrived in Lower Saxony brimming with confidence after a superb season under coach Lukas Kwasniok. The club, which competed in the Bundesliga as recently as 2019-20, finished third in the second tier, racking up an impressive 67 points. Their attacking approach, built around quick transitions and set-piece prowess, had earned them plaudits, but it was their defensive resilience and the form of 19-year-old goalkeeper Seimen that would prove pivotal in this first leg.
From the opening whistle, Wolfsburg sought to assert their top-flight pedigree, dominating possession and pinning Paderborn deep in their own half. The hosts’ high press forced several early turnovers, and within the first 15 minutes, they had already forced Seimen into a smart near-post save from a Jonas Wind snapshot. The pressure mounted as Wolfsburg’s wing-backs pushed high, sending a cascade of crosses into the box, but Paderborn’s back three, marshalled by captain Tobias Müller, stood firm and repeatedly cleared their lines.
The key narrative of the first half, however, quickly became the heroics of Seimen between the posts. The young goalkeeper, a product of Paderborn’s academy, produced a string of outstanding saves to keep his side level. In the 28th minute, he acrobatically tipped over a fierce drive from Maximilian Arnold from the edge of the area. Then, moments later, he reacted instinctively to claw away a deflected effort that seemed destined for the bottom corner. Each intervention drew gasps from the home crowd and visibly frustrated the Wolfsburg attackers.
Yet it was not only Seimen’s brilliance that kept the scoreline blank; Wolfsburg contributed to their own downfall through sheer profligacy. The most glaring example came in the 37th minute, when striker Omar Daghim missed a chance that will haunt him. A sweeping move down the right flank released Patrick Wimmer, whose pinpoint low cross found Daghim unmarked six yards from goal. With the net gaping, the Danish forward somehow diverted his shot wide of the far post, striking the outside of his right boot. It was a miss that left the stadium in stunned silence and encapsulated Wolfsburg’s attacking ailments.
‘That miss was the turning point in the first half,’ said a visibly frustrated Hasenhüttl after the match. ‘You have to take those chances in games of this magnitude. We created enough to win, but if we don’t put the ball in the net, you make life difficult for yourself.’ The psychological impact was immediate. Paderborn, sensing their escape, began to grow in belief, and the hosts’ fluidity gave way to rushed, anxious play as the first period concluded without a breakthrough.
The second half followed a similar pattern, but with an added layer of desperation from Wolfsburg. Hasenhüttl introduced fresh legs, sending on Jakub Kamiński and Tiago Tomás to provide more penetration. The pressure intensified, with Wolfsburg striking the frame of the goal through a looping header from Sebastiaan Bornauw that clipped the crossbar. Still, Paderborn’s defensive organization did not waver, and Seimen continued his one-man resistance, catching crosses confidently and making a stunning double save in the 68th minute to deny first Wind and then Tomás from point-blank range.
Paderborn’s game plan was clear: absorb the pressure, hit on the counter, and exploit set pieces. They nearly snatched a precious away goal on a rare foray forward, when a swift break culminated in Felix Platte firing a low drive that drew a smart save from Koen Casteels at the other end. The warning signs were there for Wolfsburg, reminding them that a single Paderborn goal could swing the tie decisively given the away goals rule that applies in the relegation playoff.
Historically, the Bundesliga relegation playoff has produced its share of drama and heartbreak. Wolfsburg themselves were involved in a nail-biting tie in 2017, when they narrowly overcame Eintracht Braunschweig 2-0 on aggregate, a result secured only by a late second-leg goal. That experience should serve as a cautionary tale: a goalless home draw is a precarious result, as Paderborn now need only a score draw or better in the return leg to secure promotion. The margin for error is razor-thin.
Looking ahead to the second leg at the Benteler-Arena, Paderborn will be buoyed by their defensive resilience and the knowledge that they have already kept a clean sheet in Wolfsburg’s fortress. Kwasniok will undoubtedly urge his side to play with more attacking intent in front of a fervent home crowd, while Hasenhüttl faces the unenviable task of lifting his players and fixing their finishing woes. The psychological advantage has shifted palpably toward the second-division side.
The return fixture, set for three days’ time, promises high drama. Wolfsburg must score, but they cannot risk throwing men forward recklessly and being caught on the break. The tie remains finely balanced, with Paderborn holding a slight edge. If the first leg taught us anything, it is that Seimen’s heroics and Daghim’s miss have already written the opening chapter of a story that is far from finished. Based on reporting from Kicker.
