RB Leipzig: 1-1 Draw at St. Pauli - Bundesliga Update

The relegation-threatened Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli has put a damper on top club RB Leipzig in the race for the Champions League places. The Hamburg team made it 1-1 (0-0) thanks to Martijn Kaars’ late goal from a penalty kick in the third minute of stoppage time.

The Saxons ended their goalless series at the Millerntor Stadium, but also remained without a win in their fourth appearance against the Hanseatic League. Star player Yan Diomande put RB in the lead with his remarkable goal in front of 29,147 spectators in the 66th minute and thus scored Leipzig’s first goal at the Millerntor in the fourth game.

“No Forgive, No Forget” on Remembrance Day

The relegation-threatened club from Hamburg, which was an equal opponent for long stretches, came back late and truly earned the point. Early in the game, Leipzig’s goallessness was almost history. Xaver Schlager (8th minute) shot from almost 20 meters. And his shot off the post caused the first excitement in the stands.

Even before the game, fans had loudly raised their voices against fascism on the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Banners reading “No Forgive, No Forget” were held aloft in the stands. The players from both teams also held up a banner.

The game was originally supposed to have taken place two and a half weeks ago. However, the heavy winter hustle and bustle put a damper on the staging of the game – the match was canceled at short notice.

Now snow didn’t bother. And the low temperatures didn’t have an impact either, as both teams played forward with determination. The hosts in particular made clever use of their planned transitions, Rocky-Jade Jones ran freely towards the Leipzig goal twice, but especially on the second attempt (23rd) he maneuvered the ball wide.

St. Pauli’s nimble Englishman was also involved in the next good move (38th), but he hesitated for too long and overlooked his better-positioned teammate Joel Chima Fujita. It would have been offside anyway. The lightning-fast player often seemed a step too late in his attempts. The actions were symptomatic of Hamburg’s poor performance this season.

Although Leipzig had their own approaches to goal, they didn’t cut a good figure at times due to a few ball losses and a lot of space for the Hanseatic League. Antonio Nusa was denied by goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj from a promising position shortly before the half-time whistle, then Romulo fired a shot from a tight angle just wide of the goal.

In the second half it was a thoroughly entertaining game with no goals. Quite the opposite to Hamburg’s bland and weak performance in the derby against HSV. But both teams acted too imprecisely when things got serious in front of the opposing goal. It was only attacker Diomande’s powerful shot at the edge of the penalty area that made Leipzig celebrate. The ball rushed unstoppably into the left corner.

But it wasn’t the end point: In stoppage time, referee Florian Exner awarded a penalty after a foul by David Raum on Kaars. The German international was actually more likely to have the ball, but then slipped unluckily and into his opponent, who fell. The substitute Dutchman stepped up himself, finished and caused exuberant celebrations at the Millerntor.