BERLIN — St. Pauli and Heidenheim were relegated from the Bundesliga on Saturday as Wolfsburg scrambled to the last available survival spot in a day of high drama that decided both promotion and demotion places.
Wolfsburg won 3-1 at St. Pauli in a winner-take-all relegation decider, sending the hosts down and earning a playoff against the second division's third-place finisher. The match was settled in the first half, and from there Wolfsburg simply managed the advantage.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
The bottom two clubs are automatically demoted. St. Pauli's tenth straight game without a win left it adrift at the foot of the table, but the home fans still rose to hold scarves aloft in what would become a farewell gesture.
Farewell gestures in Hamburg and Heidenheim
In Heidenheim, where the club's longest-serving manager was shown an unusual tribute in defeat, coach Frank Schmidt acknowledged the crowd after nearly nineteen years.
"To be relegated like this, and yet you go over to our fans and flags are being waved," Schmidt said. "You really have to let that sink in." His words carried weight in a country not especially known for standing behind teams heading downward.
Champions League and Cup places decided
Stuttgart held the final Champions League qualification position despite conceding two late goals in a 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt. The result denied both Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen a route back into the competition.
Hoffenheim lost 4-0 at Borussia Mönchengladbach while Leverkusen could only draw 1-1 with Hamburger SV. Frankfurt's Jonathan Burkardt converted two late penalties, adding to a turbulent finish under new coach Albert Riera that produced protests from home supporters holding a banner reading "Thanks for nothing, Alberto."
Harry Kane scored a hat trick in Bayern Munich's 5-1 home victory over Cologne, taking his season tally to 36 goals. Leon Goretzka played his final Bundesliga match for the club and was handed the trophy by captain Manuel Neuer, who had extended his contract a day earlier. The traditional beer shower followed, with Dayot Upamecano drenching coach Vincent Kompany.
Bayern plays Stuttgart in the German Cup final in Berlin next Saturday.
Union Berlin ends with a statement win
Marie-Louise Eta secured her second victory in charge of Union Berlin, a 4-0 defeat of Augsburg to close the season. Eta, the first female coach in Bundesliga history, is scheduled to take over the women's team but may face calls to remain with the men after earning two wins and a draw from five matches.
Borussia Dortmund finished second with a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen, and Freiburg beat third-placed Leipzig 4-1 at home. Freiburg now travels to face Aston Villa in the Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Second-division champion Schalke returns to the top flight. Elversberg, Hannover, and Paderborn play Sunday to determine which club meets Wolfsburg in the playoff, with the first leg at Wolfsburg on Thursday.