Union Berlin 1-1 St. Pauli: Bundesliga Draw Sees Points Shared as St. Pauli Misses Chance to Distance Themselves from Relegation Zone

Sunday afternoon at the Alte Försterei stadium hosted a crucial relegation battle between Union Berlin and St. Pauli. A victory for St. Pauli in Köpenick would have seen them climb past Köln into 15th position. Union Berlin, despite a solid first half of the season, has seen their performance decline since the new year, gradually pulling them into the fight to avoid the drop.

Union's head coach, Steffen Baumgart, implemented five changes to his lineup after the crushing 4-0 defeat against Bayern Munich, which occurred just before the international break. This included an entirely new attacking trio of Woo-Yeong Jong, Oliver Burke, and Andrej Ilić. Additionally, Diogo Leite rejoined the starting eleven, having recovered from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him since late January.

St. Pauli's manager, Alexander Blessin, also made three alterations, bringing back Adam Dźwigała, Karol Mets, and Martijn Kaars following their recent home loss to Freiburg.

The vibrant atmosphere generated by the Union supporters in the initial moments was mirrored by their team's early efforts. Within the first five minutes, Danilho Doekhi had the game's first significant opportunity, with his shot requiring a solid save from Nikola Vasilj.

The visiting side gradually found their rhythm and created a promising opportunity from a cleverly executed corner. Karol Mets found himself with the ball just beyond the six-yard box, but, despite the prime position, he couldn't find the target. Shortly after, Mathias Pereira Lage stunned the Alte Försterei crowd, unleashing a perfectly placed volley from outside the penalty area to give his team the lead.

Union fought hard to respond and came close to leveling the score five minutes before halftime, only to be thwarted by a superb double save from Nikola Vasilj. He first parried Oliver Burke's attempt, then quickly reacted to block Derrick Köhn's powerful rebound.

After the interval, Union emerged with renewed vigor, pressing St. Pauli's defense intently. They restored parity just five minutes into the second half when Serbian forward Andrej Ilić leaped highest to head home a corner delivered by Köhn.

Despite an impressive first half, St. Pauli's goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj experienced a momentary lapse, gifting the ball to András Schäfer in a perilous area. Nevertheless, Vasilj quickly recovered to make the save, much to the dismay of Union's Hungarian midfielder.

Both sides persisted in their search for a winning goal, but neither displayed the necessary clinical finishing in the attacking third. This lack of penetration underscores their difficulties throughout 2026, and for St. Pauli, it suggests they could still be facing a winner-takes-all showdown against Wolfsburg on the final day.

Just before the final whistle, St. Pauli's captain, Jackson Irvine, was shown two rapid yellow cards, resulting in his suspension for next week's match against Bayern Munich at the Millerntor.

Union Berlin 1-1 St. Pauli | Player Ratings

Union Berlin:

Frederik Rønnow (6) – Danilho Doekhi (6), Leopold Querfeld (6), Diogo Leite (7) – Janik Haberer (6), Rani Khedira (6), András Schäfer (7), Derrick Köhn (7) – Woo-Yeong Jong (6), Oliver Burke (6), Andrej Ilić (8)

Others: Alex Kral (6), Ilyas Ansah (-), Tom Rothe (-)

St. Pauli:

Nikola Vasilj (8) – Adam Dźwigała (6), Hauke Wahl (6), Karol Mets (6) – Arkadiusz Pyrka (6), Mathias Rasmussen (6), Jackson Irvine (6), Mathias Pereira Lage (7) – Daniel Sinani (5), Joel Chima Fujita (5) – Martijn Kaars (5)

Others: Andreas Hountoundji (5), Conor Metcalfe (-), Abdoulie Ceesay (-)

Man of the Match | Andrej Ilić (8)

As Union's primary attacking threat for the entire match, Ilić rightfully brought his team level with a characteristic header.

An honorable mention goes to Nikola Vasilj, who might have secured this accolade himself were it not for his brief lapse in concentration during the second half.