Afolayan strikes late as Pauli hold Gladbach | OneFootball

Afolayan's late strike rescues point for St. Pauli against Borussia Mönchengladbach

Oladapo Afolayan's 85th-minute equaliser proved crucial for St. Pauli whose dominance in possession was finally rewarded against a Gladbach side who had led at the break through Ko Itakura's well-directed header.

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St. Pauli 1-1 Borussia MönchengladbachGoals: 0-1 Itakura 45’+2 (assist: Honorat), 1-1 Afolayan 85' (assist: Smith)

Both teams entered this game with points to prove. St. Pauli were looking to put distance between themselves and the relegation play-off spot while Gladbach hoped to post a club-first fifth away win on the bounce.

Gladbach enjoyed a half-time lead. (IMAGO/Bahho Kara)

St. Pauli dominate but fall behind

Pauli started the match with intent, creating early chances through Hauke Wahl and Danel Sinani. In the fourth minute, Wahl forced a save from goalkeeper Tiago Pereira Cardoso, setting the tone for the hosts' dominance.

Sinani was particularly active, testing Cardoso again soon afterwards. The hosts continued to press, with Elias Saad coming close in the 30th minute, his effort saved brilliantly by Cardoso. However, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock against the run of play in first-half stoppage time. Ko Itakura rose highest to meet a corner from Franck Honorat, guiding his header beyond Nikola Vasilj to give Gladbach a 1-0 lead at the break.

Oladapo Afolayan celebrates his goal with teammate Jackson Irvine. (IMAGO/Justus Stegemann)

Relentless pressure pays off

The second half saw St. Pauli continue their dominance, with Manolis Saliakas and Sinani testing Cardoso early on. In the 47th minute, Saliakas unleashed a powerful shot that Cardoso managed to parry.

Despite the fact that Gladbach defended resolutely, the pressure finally told in the 85th minute when Afolayan received the ball from Eric Smith and unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box, beating Cardoso to level the scores at 1-1.

Player of the Match: Tiago Pereira Cardoso

Despite conceding late, Gladbach's young goalkeeper Cardoso was undoubtedly the standout performer. The 18-year-old made an impressive seven saves, including crucial stops from Sinani and Saad. His commanding presence in the box and quick reflexes kept Gladbach in the game for long periods, frustrating St. Pauli's attackers and earning him the highest fantasy points score of the match with 421 points.

Bundesliga Match FactsxGoals: St. Pauli 1.65 - Gladbach 0.5Fastest player: Honorat (BMG), 34.16 km/hLowest goal probability: 0-1 by Itakura (BMG), 6.8 per centMost pressed player: Saad (STP), 24 times under pressurePass efficiency: Manolis Saliakas (STP), +3.44

Fantasy Heroes: Cardoso (Gladbach, 421 Points), Eric Smith (FC St. Pauli, 291 Points), Saliakas (FC St. Pauli, 283 Points)

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