Can scores last-minute penalty to give BVB a 3-2 win over St. Pauli | OneFootball

Personnel mattersAaron Anselmino (lacking match fitness), Ramy Bensebaini (illness) and Marcel Sabitzer (calf injury) were unavailable. Compared to the match against Bremen (3-0), five changes were made to the starting line-up: Emre Can, Jobe Bellingham, Daniel Svensson, Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt replaced Niklas Süle, Yan Couto, Carney Chukwuemeka, Maximilian Beier (who all moved to the bench) and the aforementioned Sabitzer.

The matchIn beautiful late-winter weather and under the watchful eye of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (wearing a Black & Yellow scarf), BVB faced an opponent who disrupted their build-up play early on with high pressing, won the majority of their tackles and offered little in attack while conceding nothing in the way of chances. Only a dropped catch by St. pauli goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj gave Brandt a huge chance to make it 1-0 in the 16th minute, but Hauke Wahl came to the rescue for his beaten keeper by clearing on the goalline. After almost half an hour, Brandt fired a free kick from 17 metres out just past the right post. Overall, however, Dortmund's play was too error-prone and predictable. There were no surprising moments until the final phase of the first half.

St. Pauli relied on quick transitions and created a good chance for Pereira Lage in the 37th minute, which Gregor Kobel did well to save with his foot. Ten minutes earlier, referee Harm Osmers had awarded a penalty to the visitors after Fabio Silva handled the ball, but reversed his decision after consulting the monitor: it clearly wasn't a deliberate handball (27).

Late in the half, but not too late to go into the dressing room a goal up, BVB began to exploit space down the flanks. Julian Ryerson's sharp cross was narrowly missed by Karim Adeyemi (44), then Adeyemi got the ball on the right wing. With a quick burst of pace, he left Lars Ritzka in his wake and played the ball low into the box. Fabio Silva let it run through to the better-positioned Brandt, who slotted home to make it 1-0 (45+1).

After reemerging from the changing room for the second half, BVB continued to show some inaccuracies in their passing, but they looked much stronger in the challenges. Eight minutes after the restart, a series of passes clicked into place: the ball was played from the centre circle to Brandt, who shifted it precisely for Fabio Silva, who ran towards goal in a central position. Adeyemi was charging into space to his left, and when the gap opened up, Silva slipped the ball right into his path. Adeyemi only had to tap the ball into the goal as he tumbled to the ground to five BVB a 2-0 lead.

But as in the reverse fixture leg (3-3), BVB let a two-goal lead slip. Within nine minutes, two set pieces from the visitors levelled the score at 2-2. Smith set up the first with a corner (63), then a free kick (72), with Sands and Jones on hand to finish with their heads and feet respectively. Kobel was required to prevent BVB going down 3-2 with a save to deny Jones (78).

After that, BVB struggled to impose themselves on the opposition. Apart from a close-range header from Nmecha that hit Vasilj's chest (81), there was little in the way of chances. It was only in added time that things got exciting. A foul on Maxi Beier on the edge of the box resulted in a penalty, which Emre Can converted to make it 3-2 (90+6).

OutlookTwo away games are on the schedule for the coming week: first on Tuesday (21:00 CET, live on Prime) away to Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League, then on Saturday (18:30 CET, live on Sky) away to Union Berlin in the league.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND 3–2 (1-0) FC ST. PAULI

Bundesliga, Matchday 18

BVB: Kobel – Can, Anton, Schlotterbeck – Ryerson (71, Couto), Bellingham, Nmecha (83, Özcan), Svensson – Adeyemi (71, Beier), Fabio Silva (71, Guirassy), Brandt (83, Chukwuemeka)Substitutes: Meyer, Duranville, Süle, ManeFC St. Pauli: Vasilj – Dzwigala (64, Ando), Wahl, Mets – Pyrka, Sands, Smith, Ritzka (64, Oppie) – Pereira Lage, Kaars (64, Jones), FujitaSubstitutes: Gazdov, Ando, Robatsch, Saliakas, Stevens, Afolayan, CeesayGoals: 1-0 Brandt (45+1, Adeyemi), 2-0 Adeyemi (54, Fabio Silva), 2-1 Sands (63, Smith), 2-2 Jones (72, Smith), 3-2 Can (90+6, penalty, Jones foul on Beier)Bookings: Schlotterbeck, Adeyemi, Bellingham – SmithReferee: Osmers (Hannover)Attendance: 81,365 (sold-out) at SIGNAL IDUNA PARKBoris Rupert