St. Pauli holds Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-1 draw

Bayer Leverkusen’s hopes of the Bundesliga title took a hit after they ended their 30th matchday with a 1-1 draw against FC St. Pauli. Following this result, the defending champions find themselves eight points behind the leaders, Bayern Munich. Patrik Schick opened the scoring for Leverkusen in the 32nd minute with his 18th goal of the season. However, Carlo Boukhalfa equalized for the home side in the 78th minute, much to the delight of the 29,546 fans in attendance. Despite the draw, Bayer remains unbeaten on the road.

St. Pauli strengthens its position

St. Pauli has distanced itself from the relegation zone, currently sitting 14th in the table, eight points clear of the relegation play-off spot held by 1. FC Heidenheim, with four matches left in the season.

A bold start from St. Pauli

The match began at a lively pace for St. Pauli, who were without their injured captain Jackson Irvine. The home side pressured Leverkusen consistently in the opening 20 minutes, catching them off guard. Compared to their previous performance in a 2-1 victory against Holstein Kiel, St. Pauli showed significant improvement, finding creative solutions even under pressure.

However, clear chances were limited, with a header from Manolis Saliakas in the 7th minute and a shot from Boukhalfa in the 16th being the best opportunities for the home team.

Leverkusen finds efficiency

As the match progressed, Leverkusen’s quality began to shine through. Jeremie Frimpong registered the first warning shot in the 14th minute. The St. Pauli defense was increasingly tested, especially with national player Florian Wirtz back in action after a six-week injury layoff. A set-piece led to Leverkusen taking the lead when Schick scored from a header after a free-kick taken by Alejandro Grimaldo. Following this, Leverkusen sought a second goal, but the Hamburg side held firm, managing to create fewer offensive opportunities.

St. Pauli remains courageous

Despite trailing, St. Pauli refused to be disheartened, pushing for an equalizer. Leverkusen seemed content to manage their lead. The introduction of Noah Weißhaupt just after the hour mark injected fresh energy into St. Pauli’s play. He earned a free-kick for Eric Smith in the 61st minute, which was barely saved by Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.

Weißhaupt also provided the cross for Morgan Guilavogui’s goal in the 74th minute, but that was ruled out for a handball. Just four minutes later, however, Boukhalfa found the net from close range, allowing the home fans to celebrate.

Bayer responded with an effort from Grimaldo that tested St. Pauli’s goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj, who made a strong save. Nevertheless, St. Pauli fought hard to avoid defeat, with players throwing themselves into every challenge and ultimately being rewarded for their efforts.