Kult & Punk: St Pauli unlucky at Wolfsburg, come away with just 1 point.

The boys were back at matches this weekend (really they were, missed the tavern and everything). They watched a dramatic match unfold at Wolfsburg.

There was high drama in a topsy-turvy Matchday 30 relegation six-pointer, which eventually ended as a one-pointer for each side thanks to an 89th-minute leveller from the hosts.


The result leaves both sides still in the bottom three on 29 points apiece and Felix Magath now without a win in four games since taking up the reins again in Wolfsburg.

Cagey opening

The teams started the match in committed but understandably nervous fashion and it was the guests who carved out the first opening, Gerald Asamoah firing a shot on the turn over the bar in the eleventh minute. After that an evenly-balanced contest unfolded, with Wolfsburg the more active of the two sides coming forward but St. Pauli a constant threat on the break. On 27 minutes Mario Mandzukic played a good ball into the box which Ralph Gunesch misjudged, but teammate Matthias Lehmann cleared the danger before Grafite could pounce for the Wolves.

Next up was a gilt-edge chance for St. Pauli, Charles Takyi somehow failing to find an empty net from three metres out after being set up by Max Kruse. Now the action was really hotting up and Wolfsburg responded with a 20-metre shot against the post from Diego. Then it was back to the other end, Gunesch rifling a fine pass from Kruse just over the bar from a tight angle.

Advantage Wolfsburg

The next chance, six minutes before the break, fell to the hosts, and they made this one count. A long kick-out from Diego Benaglio came off the head of St. Pauli midfielder Fabian Boll unfortunately diverted a long kick-out from Diego Benaglio straight into the path of Mandzukic, who gratefully slammed it past Thomas Kessler in goal for the Hamburg side. At that stage it was a decidedly fortunate lead for Magath's men, who almost nabbed a second on the break through Makoto Hasebe just before half time.

A goal to the good, the hosts started the second half confidently, with Simon Kjaer (55') and Jan Polak (56') passing up opportunities to increase their lead. They were made to regret those five minutes later when Asamoah and Takyi combined to set up Deniz Naki, on the pitch for all of three minutes for Florian Bruns and the midfielder coolly nutmegged Benaglio to square the contest. The gamre really opened up after that, Diego going the closest for Wolfsburg with a free kick (69') and Asamoah not far off the mark with a long-range effort for St. Pauli (74').

Late drama

Four minutes later though the visitors dramatically went in front. Matthias Lehmann latched onto a ball from Dennis Daube and ran through to drill the ball low into the corner past Benaglio. That set up a frantic finale, with St. Pauli defending desperately as Wolfsburg peppered their area with high balls. With only a minute remaining, Polak rose to meet a Ja-Cheoul Koo corner and the ball was in the net, salvaging VfL a point at the last and denying St. Pauli a precious, precious win.

Line-ups

Wolfsburg: Benaglio - Riether, Kjaer, Arne Friedrich, Marcel Schäfer - Josué (79' Helmes) - Hasebe (52' Polak), Dejagah - Diego (73' Koo) - Mandzukic, Grafite

St. Pauli: Kessler - Lechner, Thorandt, Eger, Gunesch - Boll (65' Daube), Lehmann - Bruns (57' Naki), Takyi, Kruse - Asamoah (86' Ebbers)

Goals: 1-0 Mandzukic (39'), 1-1 Naki (61'), 1-2 Lehmann (77'), 2-2 Polak (79')