Bayern Munich 3 – 1 St. Pauli
My our man in Munich
MUNICH – The magnificent Allianz Arena, usually a fortress of calm efficiency, was shaking to its very foundations last night after a chaotic, stunning, and ultimately glorious end to this supposed Bundesliga mismatch.
It took until the ninety-sixth minute for Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich to finally kill off tenaciously brilliant underdogs St. Pauli, securing a barely deserved 3-1 victory that saw three goals smashed in during the final minutes of the match.
The iconic, glowing stadium, packed with 75,000 worried fans, had been left in a state of stunned silence early on. Just six minutes into the clash, St. Pauli’s powerful forward Hountondji pounced on a defensive blunder to fire home, sending the small section of travelling ‘Saints’ fans into raptures and casting a shadow of doubt over the entire Allianz Arena atmosphere.
The German champions huffed and puffed, but the equaliser came only just before the break when defender Raphaël Guerreiro smashed home a volley in the 44th minute.
As the clock ticked past the 90-minute mark, the pressure was immense.
The Allianz Arena, the stage for some of Europe’s greatest triumphs, seemed set to host an infamous draw. But then, the final, incredible twist!
First, in the 93rd minute, substitute Brahim Diaz bundled the ball past the St. Pauli keeper after a goalmouth scramble, causing an explosion of noise that could be heard across Munich.
Then, just three minutes later, came the glorious finish. The referee was preparing to blow his whistle when super-sub Jackson found himself with space on the edge of the box. His low, drilled shot screamed past the keeper and into the net.
The roar from the crowd was deafening. The famous red and white panels of the Allianz Arena seemed to pulsate with relief as Bayern somehow secured the three points, leaving St. Pauli heartbroken and proving once again that in this spectacular stadium, the drama never truly ends until the final whistle.
