RB Leipzig secured a 2-0 home win against FC St. Pauli in the 21st matchday of the 1. Bundesliga. The Saxons had a fortunate escape in the third minute, as Irvine’s shot was blocked by the goalkeeper after a misjudged clearance from seven meters out. In the 16th minute, Gulacsi made a crucial save for the home team, parrying a deflected ball from Lukeba onto the post.
Following this close call, RB Leipzig took control of the game and scored the opening goal in the 17th minute. Sesko, after a pass from Xavi, showed composure in the box and scored low to the right. In the 35th minute, the Slovenian forward returned the favor, providing an assist for the Dutch player, who scored from 11 meters out.
In the 90th minute of regular time, St. Pauli almost pulled a goal back, but Weißhaupt’s header hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced off Gulacsi’s back and went out of play. This left Leipzig seemingly in a comfortable position at halftime.
In the second half, St. Pauli struggled to create genuine scoring opportunities. However, in the 69th minute, they were awarded a penalty after Orban was sent off for a straight red card following a not-so-subtle foul on Saad. The team played the remainder of the match with a man advantage, but failed to capitalize on the opportunity.
In the 72nd minute, Smith’s direct free kick brought a rare chance, but the Swedish player narrowly missed the left post. Leipzig, meanwhile, managed to hold on for the win, maintaining their fourth-place standing ahead of Stuttgart. St. Pauli, on the other hand, slipped to 14th place following the defeat.