Wolfsburg's relegation fate now back in their own hands after crucial victory

On a historic day for Union Berlin’s head coach, Marie-Louise Eta, Wolfsburg upset the script by registering a crucial 2-1 victory at the Stadion an der Alten Försterei to reignite their chances of survival. Now, their fate is back in their own hands as we enter the final few weeks of the campaign…

The pre-match focus in the capital was on Eta, and understandably so as she prepared to become the first woman to take charge of a Bundesliga game.

Wolfsburg, though, also found themselves staring history in the face, and not in a good way. With just five matchdays remaining, the Wolves sat 17th in the table, four points adrift of St. Pauli one place above them, making a maiden relegation from the Bundesliga a very realistic possibility.

While they still find themselves in the bottom two, their situation now looks far more favourable. Pauli’s Friday night draw with Cologne will have given Wolfsburg a boost, and they took full advantage with a narrow win against the Irons on Saturday afternoon.

Watch: Union Berlin 1-2 Wolfsburg - highlights

It was far from pretty. Union dominated for large periods, managing 27 shots – including seven on target – to their opponents' five, while the xGoals values read 2.87 to 0.19 in favour of the hosts. However, the visitors were clinical, breaking the deadlock through Patrick Wimmer early on before Dženan Pejčinović doubled their advantage almost immediately after the interval.

Union did pull one back late on through Oliver Burke to set a nervy final few minutes, but Wolfsburg held on for a victory that could ultimately prove crucial in securing their top-flight status for the 2026/27 campaign.

“Today, for the first time, there’s some relief,” head coach Dieter Hecking said after the match. “A huge weight has lifted from the players. A run like that affects mentality. We’re simply pleased to have won today.”

Dieter Hecking picked up his first win of his second reign in charge of Wolfsburg. - XX / DFL/Getty Images/Joern Pollex

About the players

27

Maximilian

Arnold

VfL Wolfsburg

Indeed, this was Wolfsburg’s first triumph since January, bringing to an end a 12-game winless run. That streak included defeats to relegation rivals Werder Bremen, Hamburg and Cologne, as well as a draw with rock-bottom Heidenheim.

“I felt we were due a win,” Hecking added. “We saw it in training this week. Even though the situation had become more difficult, the team stayed focused and earned this result with a committed second-half performance.”

The victory also came on a special day for club captain Maximilian Arnold, who made his 400th Bundesliga appearance as a late substitute. One of the few constants at Wolfsburg in recent years, he is already the club’s record appearance-maker, while no other player currently at the club has scored as many as his 49 goals in all competitions.

Following the full-time whistle, it was clear how much Wolfsburg means to him. Through the tears, he said, “That was incredibly important today. I'm finding it really hard to find the right words. We've been getting our asses kicked for the last few weeks. Our backs are against the wall. That was a superb reaction. That's why I'm very, very proud."

As we approach the business end of the season, Arnold’s leadership and experience could well prove vital. After all, this is not the first time he has been involved in a dogfight at the bottom, having helped Wolfsburg survive relegation play-offs in both 2016/17 and 2017/18.

With Arnold and Co. just two points behind Pauli, it may go down to the wire, which would mean a winner-takes-all encounter between the Kiezkicker and Wolfsburg at the Millerntor on the final day of the season.

First, though, they must get as much as they can out of fixtures against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Freiburg and newly crowned champions Bayern Munich to put themselves in the best position. For now, though, they can enjoy this victory and hope that it turns the tide in their favour.

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Wolfsburg

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