Union Berlin secured a narrow 1-0 victory against St. Pauli at the Millerntor-Stadion, courtesy of Rani Khedira`s decisive goal in the 44th minute. Although the hosts showed significant improvement after the break, they failed to find an equalizer, sealing a club-record eighth consecutive Bundesliga loss.
Union Berlin entered the match full of confidence, having recently been the only team to take points from league leaders Bayern Munich before the international break. In sharp contrast, St. Pauli was desperate to snap a dreadful sequence of seven consecutive defeats that had completely erased the memory of their promising start to the campaign.
St. Pauli coach Alexander Blessin made two changes to his struggling side, bringing in captain Jackson Irvine for his first Bundesliga start of the season alongside Andréas Hountondji. Union boss Steffen Baumgart welcomed back captain Christopher Trimmel from suspension, while Andrej Ilić returned after missing the Bayern draw through illness.
The first half was a tense and cagey affair in the windy Hamburg conditions, with both sides struggling to carve out clear opportunities.
Mathias Pereira Lage came the closest for the hosts, heading narrowly wide just moments before the deadlock was broken. The decisive moment arrived just before halftime when Christopher Trimmel launched one of his trademark long throw-ins into the penalty area. Although Pauli won the initial header, the clearance fell perfectly for Khedira. The midfielder`s first effort was blocked, but he immediately hammered the rebound into the bottom corner with precision, giving the visitors a crucial advantage.
The second half saw a revitalized St. Pauli emerge with renewed purpose, pressing harder and winning back possession significantly quicker than in the first period.
Union goalkeeper Frederik Rønnow was finally forced into his first meaningful save on the hour mark by Joel Chima Fujita, and Hauke Wahl’s header soon followed, testing the Danish keeper again.
Blessin introduced Danel Sinani and Abdoulie Ceesay to freshen his attack, and the changes nearly paid immediate dividends. St. Pauli`s best opportunity arrived in the 74th minute when Sinani played a delightful pass to Pereira Lage. He turned sharply and fired a low shot that beat Rønnow but agonizingly struck the post.
The Kiezkicker (St. Pauli nickname) continued their relentless pressure. In the 85th minute, Sinani`s corner nearly found the net directly, only for Janik Haberer to clear the ball off the line. James Sands later headed wide in stoppage time from another dangerous Sinani delivery, confirming the hosts` misfortune.
The Union midfielder led by example at the Millerntor, not only scoring the decisive goal but also proving instrumental in both offensive and defensive phases of play.
Beyond his clinical strike, Khedira’s statistics highlighted his defensive importance; he won 15 challenges, the most of any Union player, while providing a vital shield in front of the back line. His tactical intelligence helped disrupt Pauli`s rhythm throughout the match, ensuring Union held onto their slim lead.
Rupert Fawcett
