A closely contested match at the Millerntor stadium saw FC St. Pauli fall to Bayer 04 Leverkusen with a final score of 2-1 in the fifth round of the Bundesliga.
The home side demonstrated early attacking intent, with Smith creating the first significant chance within the opening minutes, narrowly missing the target. Houtondji followed with another promising opportunity, but Badé intervened, deflecting the shot over the crossbar.
Despite St. Pauli’s initial pressure, Leverkusen unexpectedly took the lead in the 25th minute. A free kick from Grimaldo was misjudged by Wahl, allowing Tapsoba to capitalize and score from close range.
Wahl redeemed himself shortly after, in the 32nd minute, following a corner kick where Flekken failed to secure possession. The defender managed to force the ball into the net despite being positioned with his back to the goal, leveling the score and leaving the game evenly poised at halftime.
The second half saw continued urgency from St. Pauli, but Leverkusen regained the advantage in the 58th minute. A well-crafted attacking move, featuring Grimaldo and Schick, resulted in a pass to Poku, who calmly slotted the ball into the net.
Despite showing resilience, St. Pauli were unable to overcome the deficit and further opportunities proved fruitless. A costly turnover by Quansah, resulting in missed chances for Oppie and Fujita, highlighted their misfortune in the final third. Leverkusen’s squad successfully maintained their clean sheet and secured a victory.
As a result of the outcome, Leverkusen climbs to fourth place in the league standings, while St. Pauli slides to sixth.
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga on the same matchday, Mainz defeated Dortmund 0-2, Wolfsburg lost to Leipzig 0-1 and Heidenheim triumphed over Augsburg 2-1.