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Marcel Hartel (left) scored his third and fourth goals of the season

Photo: IMAGO/Cathrin Müller /M.i.S. / IMAGO/MIS

FC St. Pauli won Saturday night's match of the 2nd Bundesliga 3-1 (1-0) against Schalke 04 and took another step towards the top of the table. The guests from Gelsenkirchen slip at least to 15th place.

On the last matchday, both teams had caused a spectacle: St. Pauli had sent the top team from Kiel home with a 5:1, S04 won a wild game against Magdeburg 4:3. However, only the hosts took the momentum of the previous week with them: in the 16th minute they finished three times within seconds, two minutes later Johannes Eggestein only hit the post.

Shortly afterwards, Lino Tempelmann got the ball on the edge of the penalty area and referee Frank Willenborg decided on a penalty kick. Marcel Hartel converted safely to make it 1-0 (21st minute).

Only the fourth goal conceded for St. Pauli

St. Pauli had the game under control at this point, scored 10-1 – and conceded the equaliser out of the blue. Thomas Ouwejan benefited from a misunderstanding of the opposing defence on the left wing and found Sebastian Polter with his strong pass, who placed the ball in the right corner from a few meters (29th).

It was only the fourth goal conceded this season for the league's best defence so far. The draw at half-time was flattering for the visitors.

The first exclamation mark in the second half was set by the relegated Bundesliga team: Polter hit the back of the net from a half-right position after just 30 seconds. St. Pauli continued to be the more mature team in terms of play and consequently took the lead again.

Eggestein laid on the edge of the penalty area with his back to goal to Hartel, who created the necessary space with the first contact and then shot with his left into the right corner. The ball bounced off the post and into the net – 2:1 (57th). The midfielder's fourth goal of the season.

The jubilation at the Millerntor had just subsided when Schalke almost equalised again: Derry Murkin was only separated from the ball at the last second, Yusuf Kabadayi chased the follow-up shot past the box from a promising position (61st). The next chance was again missed by Polter, who failed in a one-on-one situation to St. Pauli goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj (65th).

The game was thrilling and with chances on both sides in an intense final phase. The decision came in injury time: Schalke's Tomas Kalas deflected a shot from Carlo Boukhalfainto his own net (90+2). With the 3-1 win, FC St. Pauli has also overtaken Hamburger SV in the table.

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