Borussia Mönchengladbach defeated FC St. Pauli 2:0, extending their lead over the relegation playoff spot to four points. Kevin Stöger scored the opener with a free kick, followed by Franck Honorat's goal. The win provides relief for coach Eugen Polanski ahead of the derby in Cologne.
On Friday evening, kicking off the 26th matchday of the Bundesliga, Borussia Mönchengladbach won the relegation clash against FC St. Pauli 2:0 (1:0) in front of 49,202 spectators at Borussia-Park. The hosts largely controlled the first half, while St. Pauli sat deep and focused on counters. The guests' best chance came in the 27th minute when Joel Chima Fujita shot from close range, but goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas made the save.
The opener came predictably from a set piece: In his 200th Bundesliga match, Kevin Stöger scored in the 37th minute with a direct free kick from about 25 meters into the top corner – Gladbach's first direct free-kick goal since December 2020. After the break, St. Pauli played more offensively and put the home side under pressure at times. The 17-year-old Wael Mohya, starting for the second time, was unremarkable and was substituted for Franck Honorat. Six minutes later, the Frenchman made it 2:0 in the 62nd minute with a deflected long-range shot.
In the 78th minute, Honorat missed a chance for 3:0 when he hit the post one-on-one with keeper Nikola Vasilj. The match was overall of low quality, with few fluid attacks. For Gladbach, it was the second win under coach Eugen Polanski, who had previously managed only one victory in nine games. St. Pauli thus ended a run of seven points from three unbeaten matches.
“I'm extremely happy, not just for myself, but for everyone in the stadium. Those were tough weeks,” Stöger said post-match on Sky. The victory gives the Foals some breathing room in the relegation fight and prepares them for the Rhine derby at 1. FC Köln. Historically, a win against St. Pauli in the first leg had been crucial, as Gladbach secured their first seasonal victory with a 4:0.
