Bayer Leverkusen set a new unbeaten record of 36 Bundesliga away games (W24, D12), after their 2-1 win over St. Pauli on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts had the first chance when Eric Smith’s towering header from close range went just wide of the post, which appeared to spark Leverkusen into action as they took charge of possession.
The pattern was quickly set as the visitors went close through Jarell Quansah, though they left themselves exposed at the back at times and, had Andreas Hountondji been more accurate, St. Pauli would’ve taken the lead in the opening quarter hour.
As the game began to open up a little more, Leverkusen again pressed intensely in the attacking third, but a five-man defence kept their forays at bay for the most part.
Quansah’s third yellow card in five games was unnecessary and saw a more cautious approach thereafter, whilst the visitors’ frustration with how the game was developing was clear.
That all changed after St. Pauli’s Hauke Wahl failed to deal with a simple floated free-kick into the box, allowing Edmond Tapsoba to fire home from a few yards out.
Just seven minutes later, a huge error by Leverkusen keeper, Mark Flekken, saw the ball drop invitingly to Wahl, who hooked the ball back over the custodian for the equaliser and redemption.
A much more even game leading into half-time saw a flurry of borderline tackles from both sides, and that raised the temperature both on and off the pitch, with Quansah lucky to get away with a push in the penalty box in first-half stoppage-time.
The start of the second half saw more considered build-up play from St. Pauli. Louis Oppie’s speculative volley from a corner was blocked, then Manolis Saliakas’ similar effort brought out the best in Flekken, who was quickly called upon to smother a long-range effort from Danel Sinani as the pressure on the visitors began to mount.
Patrik Schick was Leverkusen’s out ball, though his lack of presence or control mirrored that of many of his colleagues. Ernest Poku stepped forward to score with his first touch after coming on as a substitute, handing the visitors the lead against the run of play.
With more than an hour played, the passing lanes began to open up for both sides, and Leverkusen’s intricate play had the hosts chasing shadows. St. Pauli’s more dogged determination kept them in the game, yet their chances were at a premium.
Loïc Bade marshalled the visiting defence well in the face of a late onslaught, but was lucky his wayward header wasn’t smashed home after Flekken was caught in no-man’s land.
What looked like a nasty hamstring injury to Schick in the closing stages put a dampener on Leverkusen’s day, though they remain unbeaten in their last eight Bundesliga meetings against St. Pauli, since a 3-1 defeat in 1996/97. The win also sees them leapfrog their hosts into fourth position in the Bundesliga table.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ernest Poku (Bayer Leverkusen)
