Bundesliga relegation battle 2025/26: Who is in trouble at the wrong end of the table?

The Bundesliga relegation battle is heating up, with Heidenheim, Wolfsburg and St. Pauli among the teams in trouble.

Heidenheim currently sit bottom, but Frank Schmidt’s side are not the only team in deperate need of points as we approach the final quarter of the 2025/26 campaign.

How does relegation work in Germany?

Club: Heidenheim
Position: 18th (automatic relegation)
Points: 14
Goal difference: -33 (24-57)
Next fixture: Eintracht Frankfurt (a)

After narrowly avoiding relegation by defeating Elversberg in the play-off last term, Heidenheim are once again embroiled in a battle to beat the drop in what is their third campaign amongst the elite.

Having suffered eight defeats and registered only one victory in their opening 11 matches, back-to-back wins over Union Berlin and Freiburg offered hope of a revival - but they have not won since.

They have had trouble at both ends of the pitch, scoring the second-fewest goals and conceding more than any other team in the division. Time is slowly running out for Schmidt’s men as they look to avoid finishing in the bottom three.

Watch: Heidenheim 2-4 Hoffenheim - highlights

Club: Wolfsburg
Position: 17th (automatic relegation)
Points: 20
Goal difference: -21 (34-55)
Next fixture: Hoffenheim (a)

Having finished 12th and 11th in 2023/24 and 2024/25 respectively, the Wolves are in even more difficulty this year. While their tally of 34 goals is respectable, only bottom club Heidenheim have conceded more in the league this season.

Daniel Bauer became the second Wolfsburg coach to be dismissed this term following his side’s 2-1 defeat to Hamburg on Matchday 25. His replacement Dieter Hecking has a fight on his hands to change the fortunes of his new employers, who remain without a win since Matchday 17.

Watch: Wolfsburg lose to Hamburg in Bauer's final game in charge

Club: St. Pauli
Position: 16th (play-off)
Points: 24
Goal difference: -17 (23-40)
Next fixture: Borussia Mönchengladbach (a)

The 2025/26 term started positively for Pauli, who picked up seven points from their first three Bundesliga games, including a win in the first top-flight Hamburg derby in 14 years. However, things quickly turned sour, with the Kiezkicker losing each of their subsequent nine fixtures.

A 2-1 home win against Stuttgart on Matchday 21 gave Alexander Blessin’s side a boost, before a humbling 4-0 defeat away to Leverkusen on Matchday 22 did further damage to St. Pauli’s goal difference. However, they have picked up two wins and a draw from their three matches since, beating Bremen and Hoffenheim before holding Eintracht Frankfurt to a draw.

Watch: Hoffenheim 0-1 St. Pauli - highlights

Club: Mainz
Position: 15th
Points: 24
Goal difference: -12 (29-41)
Next fixture: Werder Bremen (a)

By Matchday 12 of the current campaign, last season’s top-six finish and corresponding qualification for the UEFA Conference League seemed a distant memory. The paltry six points Mainz had amassed were a joint club record at that point of a campaign, and they found themselves rooted to the bottom of the table.

As such, Bo Henriksen was relieved of his duties and replaced by Urs Fischer – a decision that has already had a huge impact. A 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich in his first Bundesliga game in charge set the tone as Mainz picked up 14 points from their next seven league games, before losing at Dortmund on Matchday 22.

The 05ers added further valuable points to their tally with successive draws against Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 24 and Stuttgart on Matchday 25. If they can continue to pick up results as consistently as they have in recent weeks, they should keep their heads above water.

Watch: Mainz 2-2 Stuttgart - highlights

Club: Cologne
Position: 14th
Points: 24
Goal difference: -9 (34-43)
Next fixture: Hamburg (a)

The Billy Goats have fallen down the table after initially impressing in the early stages of the season.

Lukas Kwasniok’s charges have lost four and drawn one of their last five games - a run of form that has left them above the relegation play-off place only on goal difference. A 2-1 defeat at home to Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 25 only deepened Cologne’s relegation fears.

Watch: Cologne 1-2 Dortmund - highlights

Club: Werder Bremen
Position: 13th
Points: 25
Goal difference: -16 (29-45)
Next fixture: Mainz (h)

Following three years of Bundesliga solidity at the Weserstadion, Ole Werner moved on to RB Leipzig during the summer. Horst Steffen, who had taken Elversberg to the brink of the top flight in 2024/25, appeared to be a shrewd appointment as his replacement, but he earned only 19 points from his 20 games at the helm.

Daniel Thioune has been charged with arresting Bremen’s slide down the table. The 51-year-old started his tenure with three consecutive defeats, but Bremen finally ended that slump with a much-needed victory against Heidenheim before moving out of the bottom three with a thumping win at Union. 

Watch: Bremen move out the drop zone with victory at Union

Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
Position: 12th
Points: 25
Goal difference: -15 (28-43)
Next fixture: St. Pauli (h)

After finishing 10th in 2024/25, the Foals picked up only one point and failed to score in their opening three games of the current campaign as head coach Gerardo Seoane was replaced by Eugen Polanski.

Polanski had to wait six games for his maiden victory, but it was a crucial one as Gladbach put fellow relegation rivals St. Pauli to the sword on Matchday 9. A morale-boosting win over Cologne in the Rhine derby followed, with that success coming in the middle of a five-game unbeaten streak.

Since Matchday 13, though, Gladbach have tasted victory only twice - their latest success a 1-0 victory over Union on Matchday 24.

Watch: Gladbach 1-0 Union - highlights

Check out the full Bundesliga table here!

About the clubs

Wolfsburg

Volkswagen Arena

St. Pauli

Millerntor-Stadion

Heidenheim

Voith-Arena

Mainz

MEWA ARENA

Werder Bremen

Weserstadion

Borussia Mönchengladbach

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