St. Pauli celebrate safety despite Boadu’s brace

Bochum bow out of Bundesliga with a solid win away at St. Pauli, who avoided relegation for the first time since the 1995/96 season.

A game between two of the lowest goal-scoring teams in the Bundesliga was always going to be a cagey affair. However, last week’s results reduced the importance of the fixture as Bochum’s relegation confirmed at their home Ruhrstadion. 

Meanwhile, St. Pauli all but secured safety after a battling draw in Frankfurt. Alexander Blessin’s side already prepared for partying with fans after the final whistle, and that could’ve been the reason for their lacklustre first half showing.

Despite their decent start, they went behind when Myron Boadu scored probably the best goal by Bochum this season. The Dutch striker singlehandedly beat St. Pauli’s defense before scoring past the returning goalkeeper Nicola Vasilj. 

The hosts dominated proceedings after the goal, but they couldn’t create clear goal scoring opportunities. In particular, Dapo Afolayan had posed more of a threat in the final third for Die Kiezkicker. However, the English attacker was replaced by Noah Weißhaupt at the start of the second half.

St. Pauli’s January signing also made a good impression, but the guests scored their second midway through the second half. Boadu scored his second with a calm finish after a well-worked counter-attack move by the relegated team.

That didn’t affect the hosts’ celebrations, however. With both Hoffenheim and Heidenheim trailing by more than a single goal, St. Pauli’s league position was in safe hands. Bochum ended the season tying on points with Kiel.