WOLFSBURG: VfL Wolfsburg’s struggle for Bundesliga survival remains a fraught affair after a 1-0 win over second-tier neighbours Eintracht Braunschweig in the first leg of their relegation/promotion playoff on Thursday.

“We’ll manage it,” Wolfsburg coach Andries Jonker said of his side’s prospects.

Forward Mario Gomez scored the only goal 10 minutes before the break, a penalty awarded for a hand-ball decision against Braunschweig defender Gustav Valsvik.

The goal gives the Volkswagen-backed club a narrow advantage before the second leg of the playoff in Braunschweig on Monday.

“Lions bite. We’ll really bite back on Monday. That I can promise you,” Braunschweig coach Torsten Lieberknecht said, referring to the club’s nickname, The Lions.

It was a hard-fought Lower Saxony derby as the third-placed team in the second division took on the third-bottom Bundesliga club, with the slumping Wolves having been league runners-up and German Cup winners only two seasons ago.

VfB Stuttgart and Hanover 96 were automatically promoted to the top flight taking the place of Darmstadt 98 and Ingolstadt 04 who were relegated.

Gomez sent Braunschweig goalkeeper Jasmin Fejzic the wrong way with his 35th minute spot kick, although the striker, who had scored 16 league goals in the regular season, controlled the ball with his hand prior to Wolfsburg earning the penalty.

The hosts squandered two more big chances to boost their lead early in the second half through Gomez and Daniel Didavi.

The Wolves faced little resistance after the break from Braunschweig, who had to wait until stoppage time for their first shot on goal in the second period.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2017