St. Pauli fight back to deal hammer blow to Bayer Leverkusen's title hopes
Bayer Leverkusen's grasp on the Meisterschale loosened further after Carlo Boukhalfa's late equaliser for St. Pauli cancelled out Patrik Schick's opener in a battling draw at the Millerntor.
St. Pauli 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Goals: 0-1 Schick 32' (assist: Frimpong), 1-1 Boukhalfa 78'
After Bayern Munich's big win at Heidenheim the day before, the pressure was on the visitors to Hamburg to match the Bavarians' result and put themselves back to within six points of the Bundesliga leaders. For their part, St. Pauli, sitting seven points above the relegation play-off spot, were eager to continue their fight for top-flight survival. The return of Florian Wirtz to Leverkusen's starting lineup added an extra layer of intrigue to the fixture.
The home side started brightly, putting pressure on the champions and creating several early chances. However, it was Patrik Schick who broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute. The Czech striker rose highest to meet Alejandro Grimaldo's free-kick, nodding home to give Leverkusen the lead. Despite St. Pauli's efforts, including a powerful shot from Carlo Boukhalfa that forced a save from Lukáš Hrádecký, the visitors held their advantage going into the break.
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The second half saw tensions rise while St. Pauli's persistence nearly paid off in the 74th minute when Morgan Guilavogui found the net. That effort would be ruled out for handball, however.
It would matter little to the home supporters soon afterwards when the hosts' determination was rewarded with 12 minutes to go. Following a free-kick from Danel Sinani, Hrádecký fumbled the save, allowing Boukhalfa to pounce and slot home the equaliser. The goal sent the Millerntor-Stadion into raptures and set up a tense finale. Leverkusen pushed for a winner, with Grimaldo forcing a save from Nikola Vasilj, but St. Pauli held firm to secure a valuable point while severely damaging Bayer 04's already slim hopes of catching leaders Bayern.
Player of the Match: Carlo Boukhalfa
Boukhalfa was instrumental in St. Pauli's resilient performance against the champions. The midfielder not only scored the crucial equaliser but also posed a constant threat throughout the match. He recorded the most shots (four) of any player on the pitch and covered significant ground, showcasing his box-to-box capabilities.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: St. Pauli 1.39 - Leverkusen 1.07
Fastest player: Jeremie Frimpong (Leverkusen), 34.03 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-1 by Boukhalfa (St. Pauli), 80 per cent
Most pressed player: Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen), 39 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Granit Xhaka (Leverkusen), +3.92
Fantasy Heroes: Carlo Boukhalfa (St. Pauli, 271 Points), Alejandro Grimaldo (Leverkusen, 245 Points), Jonathan Tah (Leverkusen, 172 Points)
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