On Sunday afternoon, the Alte Försterei stadium hosted a pivotal Bundesliga relegation showdown between Union Berlin and St. Pauli. A victory for St. Pauli would have seen them climb above Köln into 15th position. Despite a commendable first half of the season (Hinrunde), Union Berlin’s performance has faltered since the new year, gradually pulling them into the thick of the relegation struggle.
Union’s head coach, Steffen Baumgart, implemented five changes to his lineup after the international break, following a crushing 4-0 defeat against Bayern Munich. This included an entirely new attacking trio comprising Woo-Yeong Jong, Oliver Burke, and Andrej Ilić. Additionally, Diogo Leite rejoined the starting eleven, having recovered from a hamstring injury that sidelined him since late January.
For St. Pauli, manager Alexander Blessin also adjusted his squad, bringing in Adam Dźwigała, Karol Mets, and Martijn Kaars, all of whom were reintroduced after their previous home loss to Freiburg.
The fervent atmosphere created by the Union supporters was mirrored by their team’s early intensity. The first significant opportunity arose within five minutes when Danilho Doekhi’s shot tested St. Pauli goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj, who made a strong save.
St. Pauli, the visiting side, gradually found their rhythm and created a promising chance from a well-executed corner kick. Karol Mets received the ball just beyond the six-yard box but couldn’t convert, missing the target. Shortly thereafter, Mathias Pereira Lage stunned the home crowd at the Alte Försterei by expertly striking a volley from outside the area, giving St. Pauli the lead.
Union fought to respond and came close to leveling the score five minutes before halftime. However, Nikola Vasilj produced a superb double save, first blocking Oliver Burke’s effort and then swiftly reacting to thwart Derrick Köhn’s powerful follow-up shot.
Emerging from the break, Union pressed St. Pauli’s defense relentlessly and quickly equalized just five minutes into the second half. Serbian forward Ilić powerfully headed home from a Derrick Köhn corner, restoring parity.
Despite a solid first-half display, St. Pauli’s goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj momentarily lost focus, gifting possession to András Schäfer in a threatening area. Nonetheless, Vasilj swiftly redeemed himself with a save, frustrating Union’s Hungarian midfielder.
Both sides continued their pursuit of a winning goal, but a lack of decisive attacking quality in the final third was evident. This highlighted their struggles in the current season and, for St. Pauli, suggested they might still face a high-stakes, winner-takes-all encounter against Wolfsburg on the final day.
Before the match concluded, St. Pauli captain Jackson Irvine was shown two yellow cards in rapid succession, resulting in his expulsion. This suspension means he will miss next week’s crucial fixture against Bayern Munich at the Millerntor.
Union Berlin 1–1 St Pauli | Player Ratings
Union Berlin:
Frederik Rønnow (6) – Danilho Doekhi (6), Leopold Querfeld (6), Diogo Leite (7) – Janik Haberer (6), Rani Khedira (6), András Schäfer (7), Derrick Köhn (7) – Woo-Yeong Jong (6), Oliver Burke (6), Andrej Ilić (8)
Others: Alex Kral (6), Ilyas Ansah (-), Tom Rothe (-)
St Pauli:
Nikola Vasilj (8) – Adam Dźwigała (6), Hauke Wahl (6), Karol Mets (6) – Arkadiusz Pyrka (6), Mathias Rasmussen (6), Jackson Irvine (6), Mathias Pereira Lage (7) – Daniel Sinani (5), Joel Chima Fujita (5) – Martijn Kaars (5)
Others: Andreas Hountoundji (5), Conor Metcalfe (-), Abdoulie Ceesay (-)
Player of the Match | Andrej Ilić (8)
Andrej Ilić was a constant threat for Union throughout the match. He deservedly scored the equalizer with a characteristic header, bringing his team back into the game.
Nikola Vasilj also merits an honorable mention; he might have claimed this award himself were it not for a brief lapse in concentration during the second half.
