St Pauli relegated as Eriksen inspires Wolfsburg in Bundesliga thriller

There were few tears at the final whistle, just as there were few glances at phones to check other scores. At Millerntor, St Pauli scarves were raised as “You’ll Never Walk Alone” played over the speakers. Players and staff gathered in a midfield huddle, sharing words of commiseration after a hard-fought loss.

This club, distinct in its culture, will fight another day after giving everything. It would be simplistic to suggest Wolfsburg needed this more than St Pauli, given both faced relegation. For the left-leaning Hamburg neighborhood, innovative measures like selling fan shares in the stadium have shown determination to thrive in the modern game without shedding traditional values.

Recent form suggested a mountain too high for St Pauli, winless in nine matches. Yet they had their chance, with the bottom three all on 26 points. Heidenheim, the third team, faced Mainz at home. A draw in Hamburg would have given Frank Schmidt’s side a chance to complete a remarkable escape.

Shape emerged after a cagey opening. St Pauli huffed and puffed, coming close when Joel Fujita hit the crossbar from range. Wolfsburg threatened on the counter, with Adam Daghim denied multiple times by goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj. Heidenheim fell behind early to Phillip Tietz’s goal, and by halftime trailed 2-0, making the match at Millerntor the decisive eliminator.

Wolfsburg broke the deadlock through Konstantinos Koulierakis, who flicked in a header from Christian Eriksen’s corner. With Heidenheim floundering, the game swung when substitute Abdoulie Ceesay finally converted a chance for St Pauli, leveling the score.

Enter Eriksen, the veteran signed to aim for Europe rather than battle the drop. He was an addition to a congested midfield in a chaotic season of three head coaches. Another corner, testing Vasilj under pressure, was punched into his own net. VAR invited referee Daniel Siebert to review; he stuck with his decision to award the goal.

There was more. Eriksen, not even derailed by a missed penalty that left the crossbar vibrating, had another shot saved three minutes later. Dzenan Pejčinović converted the rebound to seal the win. It was a stellar performance from a player who has become vital, replacing injured club totem Max Arnold as captain. From luxury to centerpiece. He and coach Dieter Hecking, returned from Wolfsburg’s glory days a decade ago, had staved off the worst.

“It’s almost unbelievable,” wrote Hendrik Buchheister in Wolfsburger Allgemeine. “Hecking’s Wolfsburg side beat Manchester United and Real Madrid (in 2015-16) but the coach’s greatest achievement might be the work he has accomplished since returning to his former club two months ago.” Hecking reflected that even taking part in the playoff felt like “a privilege,” and Wolfsburg may have carved a chance to rebuild.

Final day results: Bayern Munich 5-1 Cologne, Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2 Stuttgart, Freiburg 4-1 RB Leipzig, Heidenheim 0-2 Mainz, Leverkusen 1-1 Hamburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-0 Hoffenheim, St Pauli 1-3 Wolfsburg, Union Berlin 4-0 Augsburg, Werder Bremen 0-2 Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern lifted the Meisterschale after a 5-1 win over Köln, including a Harry Kane hat-trick, amid traditional beer showers. Captain Manuel Neuer insisted departing Leon Goretzka should lift the trophy. Neuer, at the heart of everything, had just signed a new contract and was reportedly in Germany’s preliminary 55-man World Cup squad. Asked to comment, Neuer said, “We are celebrating the championship today and have a very important DFB Pokal match [final against Stuttgart] next week.”

Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann was not informed of Neuer’s likely starting role. After his team’s 4-0 loss at Gladbach, which confirmed only Europa League qualification, Baumann said he thought he was still Germany’s first option. Coach Julian Nagelsmann later appeared on ZDF and did nothing to clarify the situation, prompting criticism for poor communication. Bayern later announced Neuer “will have to take it easy for the time being” after another calf injury.

Stuttgart benefited from Hoffenheim’s collapse. Hoffenheim conceded two late Jonathan Burkardt penalties at Frankfurt, having led 2-0 at halftime. That result secured Stuttgart’s fourth place and Champions League qualification. Leverkusen could only draw 1-1 at home to Hamburg, missing chances including a Patrik Schick penalty saved by debutant goalkeeper Sander Tangvik. Their sixth-place finish is likely to end coach Kasper Hjulmand’s tenure.

Freiburg secured seventh place with a 4-1 win over RB Leipzig, ensuring at least Conference League football. Frankfurt, finishing eighth after Augsburg’s 4-0 loss at Union Berlin in Marie-Louise Eta’s last game, face a likely reset. A vocal fan contingent showed displeasure toward coach Albert Riera, booing his name and unfurling a “Nada de gracias, Albert” banner. He was fired on Sunday.