Highlights

90'
+ 8

SCHALKE ARE UP!

It's all over and the Royal Blues are back in the big time!
Full-time
90'
+ 7

NEARLY THE HAT-TRICK!

That would have been the perfect way to seal promotion! Terodde is through on goal and closing in on a hat-trick and his 30th of the season, but the Pauli keeper makes a save!
90'
+ 5

DOWN TO NINE

Pauli will end this game with nine men after Matanovic gets a second yellow card. Disappointing end to what was looking like a memorable evening for Pauli just an hour ago.
90'

FIVE MORE MINUTES

Instead of an early finish, Schalke will have to survive five more minutes before being able to celebrate promotion.
87'

GOAL?

No, it was just a sliding tackle from Itakura which drew cheers that could be heard as far away as Essen.
83'

ASA-MORE!

Schalke legend Gerald Asamoah retired almost seven years ago, but he's desperate to get his boots on and get out there. He races to the Schalke fans behind the goal and asks them to raise the volume. They can't, Gerald, they just can't.
82'

DANGEROUS PLAY

Beifuß is shown a straight red card for a very rash, dangerous challenge. Frustration from the teenager, who had only minutes earlier almost given Pauli the lead.
78'

SCENES!

Substitute Zalazar has put Schalke in front, and one foot into the Bundesliga! Goals that go in off the woodwork always have an edge, and Zalazar slams his effort in off the underside of the crossbar, and the stadium erupts.
78'
Rodrigo Zalazar
Goal probability
information
Goal probability
Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models.
36 %
76'

SWEET VOLLEY

Beifuß almost restores Pauli's lead with the sweetest of volleys. You can only hope that Schalke keeper Fraisl tensed his abdominals as he blocked that effort or that would have hurt!
75'

ONLY A WIN WILL DO

We are in for a pulsating final 15 minutes here. Pauli need a goal to have any realistic chance of snatching third place on the final day of the season.
72'

20 SHOTS, TWO GOALS

At this rate, Schalke still have some work to do if they wish to celebrate promotion tonight.
Goal attempts
11off target
8on target
2off target
2on target
71'

ALL SQUARE

That is it! Terodde equals his best-ever single-season haul, turning the ball in after two Pauli defenders were drawn to Churlinov, who kept his eye on the ball and headed it across to Schalke sniper.
71'
Simon Terodde
Goal probability
information
Goal probability
Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models.
30 %
68'

OFFSIDE!

Offside is the decision, the goal does not stand, but the fans are still doing all they can to raise the closed roof off the Veltins Arena.
68'

FLAG UP!

Churlinov scores but the flag is up! It is being checked...
65'

KYEREH ALSO OUT

Another consequential yellow card for Pauli, with Kyereh getting his fifth of the season, meaning he sits out the final game of the season.
63'

PAULI FIGHTING

Rather than sitting back and defending their lead, Pauli are doing plenty of their own attacking. What do they say is the best form of attack?
camera-photo
58'

PUTTING IN THE MILES

Pauli might be behind in most of the statistics (except the most important one), but they have covered more ground than their hosts.
Distance run (km)
75.4
76.6
58'

Substitution

53'

HISTORIC RECOVERY?

The last time Schalke came back to win from a 2-0 half-time deficit was in August 2011, when they beat Mainz 4-2. They did recover for a point in the legendary Revierderby against Dortmund in November 2017 (4-4), though they would prefer to get all three points tonight.
51'

ONE TO GO

Terodde is now just one shy of his best-ever single-season haul, the 29 he got for Cologne in 2018/19. Oh, and this is just his 29th game of the season.
47'

THERE IT IS!

Goal number 28 of the season, Terodde - who was fouled to earn the penalty - tucks the ball into the bottom right-hand corner, and it is game on again!
47'
Simon Terodde
Goal probability
information
Goal probability
Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models.
77 %
46'

PENALTY!

And we have a penalty after less than 30 seconds!
46'

SEATBELTS ON

Fasten the seatbelt, we are underway again...
Kick-off!
camera-photo
45'
+ 3

PURE ENTERTAINMENT

That half followed a crazy script, if such an imaginative plot could possibly be conceived. Schalke asked all the questions, but Pauli and Matanovic providing two subtle answers. Stay tuned for more from arguably the most entertaining league in the world (just see the league table to see why).
Half-time
camera-photo

FINELY POISED

While it is still early doors and, on the evidence of the first 40 minutes, plenty can still change, things are looking tastily tight at the top of Bundesliga 2.
35'

HERE IS THE STORY

Before tonight, Terodde had scored 27 goals this season, and Matanovic had not even scored one. Terodde has had four shots, and not scored, Matanovic two, and both have gone in. This is why we love football.
Shots
4
2
Simon Terodde Igor Matanović
34'

IT JUST WON'T GO IN

Three huge, massive, humongous chances for Schalke and, again, the ball just will not go in! Terodde's effort is blocked on the line and Latza blazes the rebound over.
31'

MORE THAN ONE

This is the first time since the start of March - a 3-1 win over Karlsruhe on Matchday 25 - that St. Pauli have scored more than one goal in a game.
camera-photo

Matanovic

The 19-year-old has scored his first two goals of the season, within just eight minutes.
24'

RULED OUT!

After speaking with VAR, the referee has ruled it out since Itakura's initial attempt hit his arm. So it's as we were.
23'

THERE IT IS, OR IS IT?

Schalke are not getting disheartened, and they are back in the game. Itakura first heads the ball down, and then he makes sure.. but the referee is checking for a handball.
23'
Video Assistant RefereeVideo Assistant Referee
SituationGoal
ReviewHandball?
DecisionNo goal
camera-photo
22'

CAN SOMEBODY EXPLAIN THIS?

Bülter twists and turns and sends his shot into the side-netting. The hosts creating some huge chances, but they are two goals down.
17'

INCREDIBLE!

He has not scored a goal all season, and now he has two! Matanovic turns his marker not once, but twice, then tucks his shot into the bottom corner! A mistake by the Schalke keeper who gave the ball away with a poor clearance.
17'
Igor Matanović
Goal probability
information
Goal probability
Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models.
9 %
16'

SUSPENSION FOR AREMU

That is the fifth yellow card of the season for Aremu, whose season - at the end of this game, or at least his involvement in it - will be over.
14'

FOOTBALL, EH?

With statistics like these, there would be logically only one side leading this game. But this is football, after all.
Goal attempts
3off target
3on target
0off target
1on target
12'

SO CLOSE!

Terodde would normally put that away in his sleep, but the ball squirms under his foot from the corner with the goal gaping. With so many chances going begging, could this be one of those nights for Schalke?
9'

ST. PAULI LEAD!

WOW! After all Schalke's early pressure and chances, it's the visitors who take the lead! The chance looks to have gone as Matanovic is forced back towards the edge of the Schalke box following a cross from the left, but he manages to turn and squeeze a shot through a forest of legs and into the bottom corner!
9'
Igor Matanović
Goal probability
information
Goal probability
Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models.
4 %
6'

BÜLTER AGAIN!

The Schalke forward skips over a tackle from Beifus and charges into the Pauli box on the left. He's got several teammates waiting in the middle but opts to go for goal himself - but Smarsch comes up with another big save!
2'

DANGEROUS FROM BÜLTER!

The hosts have gone on the front foot early on! Bülter finds space on the left and drills a dangerous ball across the face of goal. It only needs a touch to go in, but there's nobody there to apply it!
1'

HUGE CHANCE FOR TERODDE!

Schalke should be 1-0 up here as Terodde gets the better of his marker and goes one-on-one with Smarsch after just 32 seconds! He's got the whole goal to aim at, but his low shot is blocked by the goalkeeper's foot - a terrific save!
1'

HERE WE GO!

And we're under way in Gelsenkirchen!
Kick-off!
camera-photo

CHANCE FOR MATANOVIC

The Pauli attacker makes his sixth start of the of the season here. He was also in the first XI in the reverse fixture earlier this season and provided the assist for his side's opening goal.
1:03
camera-professional-play-symbol

WATCH: PREVIOUS MEETING: ST. PAULI 2-1 SCHALKE

These teams last met on 4 December 2021. Pauli raced into a 2-0 lead at half-time thanks to a double from former Schalke forward Burgstaller. Zalazar pulled a goal back in the 75th minute but the Royal Blues were unable to grab an equaliser in the closing stages.

TEAM NEWS - SCHALKE

The hosts have made just two changes after overcoming Sandhausen last Friday: Ouwejan and Drexler come in for Calhanoglu and Zalazar.

TEAM NEWS - PAULI

Head coach Timo Schultz has made six changes to his team following last week's 1-1 draw with Nuremberg. Chief among them are Smarsch, who makes his first league appearance of the season as he replaces first-choice goalkeeper Vasilj, who is on the bench after suffering with a cold. At the opposite end of the pitch, Matanovic makes his first start since Matchday 23, with top scorer Burgstaller absent.

SCHALKE STARTING XI

Fraisl - Vindheim, Flick, Kaminski, Ouwejan - Latza, Itakura - Drexler, Bülter, Churlinov - Terodde

SCHALKE SUBS

Fährmann, Aydin, Calhanoglu, Idrizi, Matriciani, Palsson, Pieringer, Thiaw, Zalazar

ST. PAULI STARTING XI

Smarsch - Zander, Medic, Beifus, Paqarada (c) - Irvine, Aremu, Hartel - Benatelli - Kyereh, Matanovic

ST. PAULI SUBS

Vasilj, Ahlers, Lawrence, Daschner, Makienok, Tizka, Amenyido, Jessen, Roggow

HELLO AND WELCOME!

What a treat we have in store today as two promotion favourites go toe-to-toe, head-to-head and presumably many other body parts as they bid to return to the promised land of the Bundesliga. Schalke will even be crowned division champions if they win!