LIVE: VfL Wolfsburg vs. FC St. Pauli
As of: January 14, 2026 8:27 p.m
VfL Wolfsburg has scored an important victory in the Bundesliga. The Lower Saxony team defeated FC St. Pauli 2-1 (1-1) in the northern duel on Wednesday evening.
Dzenan Pejcinovic scored the Wolves’ celebrated winning goal two minutes before the end of regular time. Three days after the bitter 8-1 defeat at Bayern Munich, VfL managed to make amends, at least in terms of results.
Previously, Eric Smith (40th) had countered Christian Eriksen’s opening goal (25th) in a hard-fought encounter. The Danish midfielder scored from the penalty spot, it was his first goal in a VfL jersey.
Both northern clubs continue on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (in the NDR Livecenter). On matchday 18 – the start of the second half of the season, Wolfsburg welcomes Heidenheim and St. Pauli travels to Dortmund.
Eriksen’s debut goal from the penalty spot
Wolfsburg had more possession at the beginning, but could hardly get through St. Pauli’s tightly packed defense. Dzenan Pejcinovic – most recently with four goals in two games – shot into the arms of visiting goalkeeper Nicola Vasilj (4th) after a solo run. Hamburg had the most dangerous action of the first 20 minutes: Mathias Pereira Lage narrowly missed the right corner of the Lower Saxony goal after a corner (18th).
The Blessin team left the lead at the front – and fell behind a little later. Yannick Gerhardt took off after a passing relay from VfL, and the ball flew to St. Pauli’s defense boss Hauke Wahl’s spread arm. Referee Frank Willenborg, who had initially allowed the game to continue, decided on a penalty after looking at the pictures. Eriksen grabbed the ball and hit it centrally into the net for his first goal in the “Wolves” jersey (25th).
Smith acted quickly to make it 1-1
Inspired by the lead, the Bauer team initially gained confidence and dominated the game without becoming any more dangerous. And in the 35th minute, Lower Saxony needed luck and Kamil Grabara to keep it 1-0. After a solo from the right, Joel Chima Fujita passed it to striker Ricky-Jade Jones, who first shot at the VfL keeper and then chased the ball past the goal from close range.
And yet, a little later, St. Pauli got the equalizer they deserved: At the end of a nice sequence of passes, Smith was played in a half-right position and scored in a fluid movement of reception and shot to make it 1-1. No chance for Grabara because the ball flew through the legs of Wolfsburg’s captain Maximilian Arnold (40th).
Three times Fujita – and not much else
The initial phase of the second period belonged to the guests – and especially Fujita. Grabara parried the Japanese’s first attempt strongly (50′), the second went over (56′), and the third went left next to the Wolfsburg goal (57′).
Eriksen had a first goal for his team (59′) in the second half, in which the encounter became more and more flat. The action took place with many duels, especially in the midfield.
Pejcinovic scores late
It wasn’t until the 75th minute that there was something like a chance to score again: Adam Daghim, who had just been substituted, took a powerful shot and Vasilj made a save.
Everything looked like a draw until Daghim crossed and Pejcinovic headed it (88th) and made everyone in the green and white celebrate…
17th matchday, January 14th, 2026 8:30 p.m
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