St. Pauli sink Werder Bremen in relegation six-pointer
St. Pauli secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Werder Bremen in their Bundesliga relegation battle, with goals from Hauke Wahl and Joel Chima Fujita making the difference.
St. Pauli 2-1 Werder Bremen
Goals: 1-0 Wahl 55’ (assist: Sinani), 1-1 Milošević 62’, Fujita 70’ (assist: Saliakas)
A relegation scrap at the Millerntor saw two sides desperately needing points to climb away from danger. Pauli had won just one of their last eight Bundesliga matches prior to kick-off, while Bremen were in even worse form as they came into this clash winless in 12 league games.
Bremen dominated possession in the opening 45 minutes but created little of note. Martijn Kaars had the best chance after 10 minutes, combining well with Arkadiusz Pyrka before his shot was comfortably saved by Mio Backhaus.
The visitors' best opportunity came when Cameron Puertas whipped in a dangerous free-kick that Jens Stage couldn't quite convert. A tactical battle with few clear-cut chances meant the teams went in level at the break.
The match burst into life 10 minutes after the restart when Wahl headed home from Danel Sinani's cross, with Backhaus fumbling the ball over his line.
Bremen manager Daniel Thioune responded with a double substitution, including Jovan Milošević for Marco Grüll. That change, in particular, paid immediate dividends as Milošević equalised just two minutes later, reacting quickest to Samuel Mbangula's cross that caused chaos in the Pauli box.
However, the hosts struck the decisive blow in the 70th minute when Fujita finished clinically from Manolis Saliakas' cutback. Bremen pushed for another equaliser in the closing stages but couldn't create a clear opportunity, with Pauli defending resolutely to secure a precious three points.
Player of the Match: Joel Chima Fujita
The Japanese forward produced the defining moment of the match with his clinical finish for the winning goal. Fujita showed excellent composure to find the far corner with a precision strike that left Backhaus with no chance.
Beyond his goal, he was a constant threat for Pauli, handling Bremen's pressure well and working tirelessly both in attack and defence. His first goal for the club couldn't have come at a more crucial moment, securing three valuable points in the relegation battle and writing his name into club folklore with the winner in their first victory over Bremen since 1977.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: St. Pauli 0.29 - Bremen 1.28
Fastest player: Justin Njinmah (Bremen), 34.56 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Hauke Wahl (Pauli), 5.7 per cent
Most pressed player: Romano Schmid (Pauli), 35 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Justin Njinmah (Bremen), +4.5
Fantasy Heroes: Hauke Wahl (Pauli, 291 Points), Joel Chima Fujita (Pauli, 211 Points), Tomoya Andō (Pauli, 208 Points)
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