“The chance is gone”
Leverkusen stumbles – and gives up the master fight
Updated on April 20, 2025 – 10:00 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Bayer Leverkusen looked like the winner for a long time despite great effort against St. Pauli. But the Hamburgers struck and costs the “Werkelf” important points.
Bayer Leverkusen has to springs in the title fight of the Bundesliga. At FC St. Pauli, the reigning German champion did not get over a 1-1 draw and left other important points. Patrick Schick had put the “Werkelf” in the lead in the 32nd minute. But bravely fighting Hamburgers continued to give the team of coach Xabi Alonso great effort and rewarded themselves with one point with the goal of Carlo Boukhalfa in the 78th minute.
Leverkusen now has eight points behind the leaders FC Bayern in four outstanding games. The title defense is moving away. “We have to be honest: the chance is gone! The performance we bring is simply not good enough,” said scorer Patrik Schick in the DAZN interview. “After so many games, we seem to lack the energy. We have already lost two points. Last season was incredible, unfortunately this season is different.”
Meanwhile, St. Pauli has another important point in the relegation battle and is already eight points ahead of relegation place 16. There are even ten points on a direct relegation zone.
At the end of a surprisingly sunny Easter Sunday in Hamburg, the home fans were in a good mood in the Millerntorstadion – and they heated Bavarian a lot from the start. The Hamburgers on the lawn were infected by the first -class atmosphere and tore the game in the absence of their injured captain Jackson Irvine – the first chance belonged to St. Pauli’s outside player Manoli Saliakas (6th).
Bayer coach Xabi Alonso had recently caused a little unrest in the actually so relaxed Leverkusen environment with vague statements about his future. And at the beginning, the evening on St. Pauli was quite uninhibited: Because the strong promoted promoted climber annoyed and Jeremie Frimpong missed the Leverkusen leadership from a good position (14th).
After all: In the middle of the first half, Alonso’s team took over the game control; And it was rewarded in the person of Patrik Schick. After a fine free kick flank by Alejandro Grimaldo, the Czech headed unexpectedly to the lead – already the 18th goal of Schick, whose team preserved the narrow lead until the break.
St. Pauli, who is slowly planning with another season in the Oberhaus thanks to the Saturday results of the basement teams, remained in the game at the beginning of the second half. Bayer goalkeeper Lukáš Hrádecký wiped the ball next to the goal (61st) after a dangerous Hamburg free kick-Leverkusen no longer took offensive in this phase.
In the 74th minute, Morgan Guilavogui was not rightly given due to handball. Shortly afterwards, Boukhalfa dusted off.