St. Pauli and Wolfsburg show signs of strain as relegation ‘Battle Royale’ on Bundesliga’s final matchday draws nearer

Both Bayern Munich (0-5 on matchday 29) and Heidenheim (0-2 on matchday 31) completely shut down the St. Pauli attack. The loss against last placed Heidenheim particularly stings as it constituted by far the best chance for the northerners to pick up points. Blessin’s crew must face hi-flying Mainz and RB Leipzig before facing Wolfsburg on the final day of the season. Mainz put three goals past Bayern this weekend. Leipzig have won five straight in the league and, in Yan Diomande, possess perhaps the hottest talent in all of German football.

Wolfsburg’s current form trend

Dieter Hecking’s Autostädter were declared effectively dead in the water when we published our Get German Football News “Relegation Check” Feature just prior to the international break. In truth, Hecking’s team actually haven’t really shown many signs of improvement. A 6-3 away loss against Bayer Leverkusen on matchday 28 did feature three goals from Germany’s green company team, but shall mostly be remembered for Hecking’s frustration-fueled rant about the officiating.

A debilitating loss against Eintracht Frankfurt was then followed up by a surprise win over Union Berlin that gave the team some unexpected momentum. The point earned from this weekend in the 0-0 draw against Gladbach does count for quite a bit in the context of St. Pauli’s loss. Hecking has always been adamant that Wolfsburg’s only hope for survival lies in the playoffs. It now looks as if – as GGFN actually predicted in an early February feature – the Lower Saxons might actually evade the drop via this route.

St. Pauli feel the strain

Some players – notably defenders Hauke Wahl and Lars Ritzka – sought to emphasize that their team did create some early chances in the Heidenheim fixture. Indeed, it did appear as if St. Pauli played with some semblance of an idea as to how they wished to play football. Others nevertheless didn’t wish to paint a rosy picture.

“This was a huge opportunity for us, but we weren’t anywhere close to ready,” squad captain Jackson Irvine remarked in the mixed zone. “We have to perform better and trust in each other.“

“We didn’t deserve anything today,” defender Karol Mets added. “Not the way we played today.“

“We never really got into the game,” Blessin told DAZN in his post-match interview. “There was little structure to it. We also didn’t put up as much of a fight as we should have. We’re not aggressive enough. It’s not enough. That’s why we’re where we are.”

“It was a terrible start for us,” Blessin noted later at the post-match press conference. “We lost the ball in the center of the park. We need to protect that space better. We weren’t present from the start and that certainly affects a team.”

Hecking again curt and combative

“I think all our players are giving their all for Wolfsburg,” the VfL head coach said in his opening statement at the post match press conference. “They are determined to avoid relegation. And I don’t think it’s good for my players to be constantly confronted with questions about where they’ll be playing next year or what they plan to do this summer.”

“We will maintain a sense of normalcy,” Hecking answered in response to a later question about whether the team might hope for some relief in the form of a team outing or something similar. “We have clear procedures in terms of training and content. We have to focus on the possibility of having a showdown for the relegation playoff place [against St. Pauli] on the final matchday.“

GGFN | Peter Weis