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🍿 What a thriller! Paderborn takes play-off drama to extra time
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- 🍿 What a thriller! Paderborn takes play-off drama to extra time
🍿 What a thriller! Paderborn takes play-off drama to extra time
From SC Paderborn's perspective, the second leg of the relegation playoff against VfL Wolfsburg could hardly have started any worse. After just three minutes, Dzenan Pejcinovic gave the Bundesliga side a 1-0 lead.
But the challengers from East Westphalia sense a glimmer of hope! And of all people, it comes thanks to a Wolfsburg player...
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Wing-back Joakim Mæhle then managed the remarkable feat of picking up two yellow cards in the space of just two and a half minutes.
First, the Dane prevented Paderborn from taking a quick throw-in. Filip Bilbija thanked him for it with a hefty shove.
Those scuffles may also explain his overzealous challenge just moments later. In a completely harmless area of the pitch, Mæhle sent Mattes Hansen crashing to the ground and was duly shown his second yellow card. Referee Felix Zwayer had no choice but to send him off.
Paderborn took advantage of the extra man and equalised at 1-1 through none other than Bilbija. But despite relentless pressure and two efforts off the woodwork, the eagerly awaited second goal did not come.
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In extra time, however, the second-division side landed the lucky punch: Laurin Curda made it 2-1 in the 99th minute, sparking wild celebrations and sealing Paderborn's promotion to the Bundesliga!
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
