Gomez penalty gives Wolfsburg edge in relegation playoff

Football Soccer - VFL Wolfsburg v Eintracht Braunschweig - Bundesliga Relegation Playoff Match First Leg - Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg, Germany - 25/5/17 Wolfsburg's Mario Gomez scores their first goal from the penalty spot Reuters / Fabian Bimmer

WOLFSBURG, Germany (Reuters) - VfL Wolfsburg forward Mario Gomez converted a first-half penalty to secure a 1-0 victory over second-tier Eintracht Braunschweig in their relegation playoff first leg on Thursday.

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.