Emre Can penalty spares Borussia Dortmund's blushes and breaks St. Pauli hearts
Emre Can scored a stoppage-time penalty as Borussia Dortmund won 3-2 at home to relegation-threatened St. Pauli, who had come from 2-0 down to level.
Borussia Dortmund 3-2 St. Pauli
Goals: 1-0 Brandt 45'+1 (assist: Adeyemi), 2-0 Adeyemi 54' (assist: Silva), 2-1 Sands 62' (assist: Smith), 2-2 Jones 72' (assist: Smith), 3-2 Can 90'+5 (pen)
Dortmund entered this match in formidable home form, unbeaten at Signal Iduna Park since March 2025. The Black-Yellows had only suffered one defeat in their previous 25 Bundesliga matches, sitting comfortably in second place with 36 points. Meanwhile, visitors St. Pauli came to Dortmund struggling in the relegation zone, having won just one of their past 13 league games.
Brandt breaks deadlock
The hosts dominated possession in the first half but found it difficult to break down a well-organised St. Pauli defence. Julian Brandt had the first clear opportunity after 13 minutes when his shot was cleared off the line by Hauke Wahl following a cross from Julian Ryerson. The Dortmund playmaker came close again with a free-kick that narrowly missed the target. St. Pauli threatened on the counter-attack with Mathias Pereira Lage forcing a save from Gregor Kobel. Just as it seemed the half would end goalless, Karim Adeyemi burst down the right wing and delivered a low cross that Fabio Silva dummied, allowing Brandt to finish from close range in stoppage time.
Goals galore in the second half
Niko Kovač's side appeared to put the game beyond doubt nine minutes after the restart when Adeyemi finished clinically after excellent link-up play between Brandt and Silva. The Germany forward's finish made it 2-0 and Dortmund looked to be cruising.
However, St. Pauli refused to surrender and pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute when James Sands headed home from Eric Smith's corner. Blessin immediately made a triple substitution, introducing Ricky-Jade Jones, Tomoya Andō and Louis Oppie. The changes paid dividends just eight minutes later when Jones met Smith's free-kick with a spectacular volley that flew past Kobel to level the scores at 2-2.
Can keeps his cool
The momentum had swung dramatically towards the visitors, with Jones nearly giving St. Pauli a shock lead when he raced through on goal, only to be denied by Kobel. As the match entered stoppage time, it seemed the points would be shared, but there was one final twist. In the 94th minute, Jones went from hero to villain when he caught Maximilian Beier on the edge of the penalty area. After a VAR review, referee Harm Osmers pointed to the spot. Captain Emre Can stepped up in the 96th minute and kept his nerve, firing the ball into the corner past Nikola Vasilj to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory for Dortmund, maintaining their impressive home record and strengthening their grip on second place.
Man of the Match: Karim Adeyemi
Adeyemi was the standout performer at Signal Iduna Park, directly contributing to both of Dortmund's first two goals. The winger - on the eve of his 25th birthday - provided the crucial assist for Brandt's opener with an incisive run and precise low cross from the right wing. In the second half, he showcased his clinical finishing by slotting home Dortmund's second goal after good work from Silva. Beyond his goal contributions, Adeyemi was a constant threat with his pace, reaching speeds of 33.3 km/h, and consistently troubled the St. Pauli defence with his direct running. His withdrawal in the 71st minute coincided with St. Pauli's comeback, further highlighting his importance to Dortmund's attacking play.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Dortmund 3.8 - St. Pauli 0.87
Fastest player: Ricky-Jade Jones (STP), 34.65 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 2-2 by Ricky-Jade Jones (STP), 6.8 percent
Most pressed player: Jobe Bellingham (BVB), 17 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Emre Can (BVB), 2.75
Fantasy Heroes: Eric Smith (FC St. Pauli, 302 Points), Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund, 274 Points), Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund, 255 Points)
Related news
Adeyemi enjoying the Kovač effect
Currently on a fine run of goalscoring form, Karim Adeyemi is using his "God-given talents" to impress Dortmund coach Niko Kovač.
Adeyemi's header helps Dortmund beat Leverkusen
In a close game, Dortmund overcame Leverkusen thanks to two superb headed goals.
Adeyemi apologises for weapon possession
The Germany and Dortmund forward has spoken out about charges brought against him.