Bundesliga relegation battle 2025/26: Wolfsburg survive as St. Pauli and Heidenheim say goodbye
The Bundesliga relegation battle went right down to the wire, but it was Wolfsburg who ultimately kept their heads above water on Matchday 34.
How does relegation work in Germany?
Club: Wolfsburg
Position: 16th (promotion/relegation play-off place)
Points: 29
Goal difference: -24 (45-69)
Having finished 12th and 11th in 2023/24 and 2024/25 respectively, the Wolves struggled through this term, with their 69 goals conceded ultimately more than every other team besides Heidenheim.
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 started his tenure by gaining a valuable point against Hoffenheim, and a three-match unbeaten run prior to a narrow Matchday 33 defeat against Bayern Munich gave them something to cling on to on the final day. At St. Pauli, they picked up a crucial 3-1 victory to not only keep themselves up, but also down their opponents. Now, the play-off awaits...
Watch: Wolfsburg earn play-off spot with triumph over Pauli
Club: Heidenheim
Position: 18th (automatic relegation)
Points: 26
After narrowly avoiding relegation by defeating Elversberg in the play-offs last term, Heidenheim almost pulled off an even greater escape this time around.
Having suffered eight defeats and registered only one victory in their opening 11, they then proceeded to go 15 games without a win. That finally came to an end on Matchday 29 via an excellent 3-1 victory over Union, which they built on by defeating St. Pauli 2-0 on Matchday 31. Remarkably, Heidenheim were a last-second goal away from defeating champions Bayern Munich on Matchday 32, and beat Cologne in convincing fashion on Matchday 33.
They had recovered from a 10-point deficit to go into Matchday 34 level on points with Wolfsburg, but their dreams were shattered as they were beaten at home by Mainz to end their three-year Bundesliga stay.
Watch: Heidenheim relegated on final day
Club: St. Pauli
Position: 18th (automatic relegation)
Points: 26
Goal difference: -31 (29-60)
The 2025/26 campaign 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.
Alexander Blessin’s side had been on a bit of a minor revival, losing just two of their six games prior to their Matchday 29 thumping by Bayern to leave them facing a scramble for safety in the final few weeks. Nevertheless, defeats at home to Mainz and against RB Leipzig zapped their confidence, and they ulimately fell through the trap door after their final-day loss to Wolfsburg.
