Vieirinha strike saves Wolfsburg from the drop

Portuguese defender Vieirinha blasted in a 49th-minute winner as VfL Wolfsburg avoided relegation from the top tier of the Bundesliga with a 1-0 (2-0 aggregate) win over Eintracht Braunschweig on Monday.

Wolfsburg, Champions League quarter-finalists last season, had a 1-0 lead from the first leg and not surprisingly took a cautious approach.

Ken Reichel missed a great chance for Eintracht in the first half, shooting high and wide from a promising position, and Vieirinha raced on to a loose ball and blasted it home for the crucial away goal.

Eintracht will stay in the second tier of the Bundesliga where they will be joined next year by relegated Ingolstadt and Darmstadt.