The final Friday night fixture of the Bundesliga season was an important one for both sides for different reasons, with Wolfsburg having sacked manager Ralph Hasenhuttl last week and Hoffenheim looking for a result to ensure their survival.
And with just 18 seconds on the clock it was the hosts who hit the front when Mohamed Amoura’s ball across goal from the byline was diverted into his own net by Leo Ostigard to give the Wolves a dream start.
Having suffered the earliest of setbacks, the visitors battled back impressively and almost drew level when Bazoumana Toure’s deflected effort from 25 yards - which was heading for the top right-hand corner - was brilliantly saved by Kamil Grabara.
However, having pulled off a superb stop, there was nothing the Wolfsburg keeper could do to prevent Pavel Kadeřábek’s powerful first-time volley from Marius Bulter’s cross finding the net, as Hoffenheim got themselves back on terms in style 11 minutes before the break.
Wolfsburg won both of the previous two meetings between the sides this season, but it was the visitors who were looking the likelier to take the lead, with Tom Bischof’s effort from distance flying just wide of the right post shortly after the restart.
Only the bottom two sides in the division, Holstein Kiel and Bochum, had earned fewer than Die Kraichgauer’s 14 away points, but they continued to push for a potential winning goal with Anton Stach and Bülter going close.
The game appeared to be heading for a share of the spoils, however in a dramatic conclusion Jonas Wind thought he had won it for Wolfsburg when he headed home from a corner to net his first goal since January, only for Bulter to find the net from an unfavourable angle to earn Hoffenheim a point that should ensure their top-flight safety, barring an unlikely goal difference swing in the final two games. Wolfsburg remain 12th as their campaign continues to draw to a stuttering conclusion.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Denis Vavro (Wolfsburg)