Wolfsburg lost 2-1 after extra time to Paderborn in the second leg of their playoff for a place in the Bundesliga and were relegated from Germany's top flight for the first time after 29 years of consistent presence among the best.
Philip Bilbia (38th minute) and Lorin Kurda (100th) scored for the winners. Dzenan Pejčinović (3) scored the only goal for the losers. Wolfsburg were reduced to ten men from the 14th minute after Joachim Melle was sent off. The first match between the teams was held on 21 May at the “Wolfsburg“stadium“ and ended 0–0.
At the end of the season, Wolfsburg finished 16th in the Bundesliga, while Paderborn finished third in the second-highest division. Schalke and Elfersberg were promoted directly to the Bundesliga, while Heidenheim and St. Pauli were relegated.
Wolfsburg suffered their first relegation from the Bundesliga. The team entered the Bundesliga in the 1996–97 season and remained there for 29 years.
Paderborn last played in the Bundesliga in the 2019–20 season, finishing in 18th place.