Wolfsburg end Stuttgart's 38-year stay in the Bundesliga

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VfB Stuttgart's fate was sealed after a 3-1 loss at VfL Wolfsburg. Goals from Maximilian Arnold and Andre Schürrle drowned out Daniel Didavi's free-kick for the visitors, and condemned the Swabian's to their first relegation since the 1974/75 season.

VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 VfB Stuttgart

Goals: 1-0 Arnold (11'), 2-0 Schürrle (29'), Didavi 2-1 (78'), 3-1 Schürrle (90+2')

Nine places and points better off than 17th-placed Stuttgart before kick-off, Wolfsburg dominated possession at their Volkswagen Arena and took the lead with the first meaningful attack of the game. Marcel Schäfer found space on the left wing before whipping a cross in, and Arnold poked home his third goal of the season from metres out. Dieter Hecking's side doubled their lead inside the half-hour. Dante won the ball back inside his own box, Daniel Caligiuri carried the counter-attack forward, and Schürrle was on hand to cap off the move with his eighth goal of the Rückrunde.

Jürgen Kramny sent Boris Taschy on for the second half, and Stuttgart poured forward with the hulking Ukrainian in the opposition box. Wolfsburg should have made it 3-0 on the counter soon after, though. Max Kruse held onto the ball too long when there were three Wolves attackers to two Stuttgart defenders and the chance went begging. Kruse was replaced with Bas Dost soon after, and he nearly teed up Schäfer for a third, but the left-back fizzed his shot into the outside side-netting. Didavi curled a wonderful free-kick home inside the final 15 minutes, but Wolfsburg would have the final say, with Schürrle chipping home his second of the game in injury time.

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