Wolfsburg and Paderborn to contest play-off for place in 2026/27 Bundesliga
Wolfsburg and Paderborn will contest a two-legged play-off to determine which of the clubs will play in the Bundesliga in 2026/27.
The Wolves beat St. Pauli on the final day of the season on Saturday to finish three points ahead of their opponents and Heidenheim to avoid automatic relegation and earn a lifeline via the play-off.
Watch: Wolfsburg win at St. Pauli to keep survival hopes alive
Paderborn also had a three-way battle on Matchday 34 in the race for promotion, tied on points with Hannover and Elversberg going into the weekend. In the end, Elversberg got the win they needed to join Schalke in going straight up to the top flight. Paderborn's win at Darmstadt, coupled with Hannover's draw to Nuremberg, means they now get a second shot at promotion in the play-off.
Wolfsburg will host the first leg at the Volkswagen Arena on Thursday, 21 May. The decisive second leg will be in Paderborn on Monday, 25 May.
The team that wins on aggregate will get to play in the top flight in 2026/27. The loser either goes down or remains in Bundesliga 2. If level on aggregate after 180 minutes, there will be 30 minutes of extra-time and, if required, penalties. There are no away goals in this fixture.
Take a look back at the history of the play-off
