Wolfsburg win sends St. Pauli down as Heidenheim lose to Mainz

St. Pauli and Heidenheim were relegated from the Bundesliga on the final day of the season, while Wolfsburg won a relegation decider to earn a playoff berth that will determine which team remains in the top flight. The decisive match came at St. Pauli, where Wolfsburg secured a 3-1 win to send the home side down and qualify for the two-legged playoff against the third-placed club from the second division. Heidenheim’s survival hopes ended at home against Mainz, where the team lost 2-0, leaving the bottom two of the Bundesliga to be sent down automatically.

The relegation outcomes were shaped by simultaneous results elsewhere. Heidenheim entered the last round level with Wolfsburg and St. Pauli and required a win to stay in contention. Instead, it was Wolfsburg that converted its opportunity, forcing St. Pauli into automatic relegation. The league’s final standings also meant that the teams finishing 17th and 18th are automatically relegated to the second division, while the team finishing 16th plays a promotion-relegation playoff to preserve its Bundesliga status.

European qualification also came down to the wire. Stuttgart held onto the final Champions League spot despite...