PLAYER RATINGS | Wolfsburg 0-0 Paderborn – Bundesliga play-off in the balance | OneFootball

Wolfsburg and Paderborn couldn’t be separated in the promotion/relegation play-off first leg as the visitors stood firm to keep themselves in a tie which historically favours the Bundesliga club.

Since it’s introduction in 2009, only twice have the team that finished third in the 2. Bundesliga made it to Germany’s top flight, but Paderborn are only 90 minutes away from doing so after their defence stood firm against Wolfsburg, who are playing for a 30th successive campaign in the top division.

Wolfsburg vs Paderborn – as it happened

Paderborn withstood early pressure and were rewarded with the first meaningful effort, and their only effort of the first half, as Santiago Castaneda forced Kamil Grabara into an early save inside ten minutes with a volley after Filip Bilbija saw his header blocked.

That served as a warning sign for Wolfsburg, who came close through Jeanuël Belocian and Adam Daghim before Dennis Seimen collected a deflected Christian Eriksen cross on the stroke of half time as both teams went  into the break level.

Upping the ante in the second period, Daghim’s cross forced Seimen into a save before Ralf Kettemann reacted on the hour mark by introducing Steffen Tigges and Nick Bätzner in an effort to relieve pressure on Paderborn’s defence.

Belocian, operating on the right side of a back three, whipped in a teasing cross which was met by the head of Daghim, who forced Paderborn’s custodian into another save before Dieter Hecking reacted by making a double change of his own, with Jesper Lindstrøm and Mahmoud Amoura replacing Mattias Svanberg and Daghim.

Konstantinos Koulierakis then won the Wolves a free-kick in a dangerous position which was taken by Eriksen, who forced Seimen into a magnificent save with 20 minutes remaining.

With six minutes remaining, Paderborn, who will be without Jonah Sticker for the return fixture after being sent off for a second bookable offence, almost took a shock lead when Bilbija’s lob was cleared off the line by a combination of Denis Vavro and Joakim Mæhle but in the end, neither side could break the deadlock which means it’s all to play for at the Home Deluxe Arena on Monday night.

Wolfsburg 0-0 Paderborn Player Ratings

Wolfsburg: Grabara (6) – Belocian (6), Vavro (5), Koulierakis (6) – Kumbedi (4), Svanberg (3), Maehle (5), Gerhardt (3), Eriksen (5) – Pejcinovic (3), Daghim (4)

Others: Lindström (4), Amoura (3), Majer (5), Paredes (-)

Paderborn: Seimen (7) – Hansen (6), Scheller (6), Brackelmann (6) – Curda (7), Bilbija (6), Castaneda (6), Sticker (5), Müller (4), Klaas (3) – Marino (4)

Others: Tigges (3), Bätzner (4), Michel (-), Götze (-)

GGFN | Daniel Pinder