Highlights

Matchday 17

FINAL

Vonovia Ruhrstadion

FC St. Pauli

90' + 4'

DźwigałaAdam Dźwigała

HofmannPhilipp Hofmann

66'

D. Siebert

Vonovia Ruhrstadion

Full-time: Bochum 1-0 St. Pauli

A huge win for Bochum, who close the gap to safety with a narrow 1-0 win over St. Pauli. Philipp Hofmann scored the game's only goal in the second half, flicking Moritz Broschinski's cross past Nikola Vasilj. The visitors were also reduced to 10 men late on when Adam Dźwigała was dismissed for a late challenge on Dani de Wit.

Full-time

90'

+ 5

From bad to worse

This has been a night to forget for St. Pauli, who are now down to 10 men following Dźwigała's high challenge on de Wit.

90'

+ 4

Red card

Adam Dźwigała

90'

+ 3

SituationNo red card

ReviewFoul?

DecisionRed card

90'

+ 2

Almost the points sealed

A Bochum break finds its way to Broschinski, whse attempt is saved by Vasilj.

90'

+ 2

Substitution

Jakov Medić

Philipp Hofmann

90'

+ 1

Piling on the pressure

St. Pauli are pushing for an equaliser but are struggling to break Bochum down.

90'

Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 90 minutes

Through high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. Top speed then means, the fastest measured single frame of a player/game.

Gerrit Holtmann34.04km/h

Maximilian Wittek33.27km/h

Moritz Broschinski32.87km/h

87'

Substitution

Adam Dźwigała

Manolis Saliakas

87'

Substitution

Abdoulie Ceesay

David Nemeth

85'

Just one shot on target

Pauli have not posed anywhere near enough threat here so far.

Goal attempts

9off target

4on target

10off target

1on target

84'

Wide

Closer from Weißhaupt this time, but it still doesn't trouble Drewes between the Bochum sticks.

81'

Over

Smith, who has scored a brilliant goal against Borussia Dortmund already this season, can't replicate that here as he misses the target from distance.

81'

Substitution

Scott Banks

Oladapo Afolayan

81'

Substitution

James Sands

Carlo Boukhalfa

80'

Substitution

Dani de Wit

Gerrit Holtmann

79'

Yellow card

Oladapo Afolayan

75'

15 minutes remaining

What do Pauli have up their sleeves? Can they find an equaliser?

72'

Yellow card

Jackson Irvine

71'

Substitution

Noah Weißhaupt

Danel Sinani

69'

Yellow card

Eric Smith

67'

Immediate impact

Broschinski has been on the pitch a matter of seconds, but he already has an assist. He gets down the right and crosses a ball in perfectly for Hofmann, who does brilliantly to flick past Vasilj. That could be a huge goal for Bochum's hopes of survival!

66'

Philipp Hofmann

GOAL!

1:0

Goal probability

Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models.

24 %

Distance to Goal

The distance to goal is measured at the time of the shot - from the position of the ball to the center of the goal.

6.88 m

65'

Substitution

Moritz Broschinski

Koji Miyoshi

56'

Poor touch!

Bero can't get the ball under control in the middle of the area and the chance goes begging.

54'

Irvine!

The captain puts a free header over the bar from Afolayan's cross. That was a great chance for Pauli.

54'

Pauli doing more running

The visitors have covered more than three kilometres more ground than their opponents.

Distance run (km)

65.5

68.7

53'

Wide

Hofmann is starting to get more involve. He can't get enough power on this header as it floats harmlessly wide, but that is the second time he has been found in the box this second period, which is promising for Hecking and Co.

50'

Half-chance

Some lovely play down the right flank from Bero allows the midfielder to cross towards Hofmann, who can't get enough on his attempt as it is blocked behind for a corner.

46'

Back underway

We are up and running once more in Bochum.

Kick-off!

Half-time: Bochum 0-0 St. Pauli

Still nothing to separate the sides after 45 minutes. There were few clear-cut chances before the break, but Gerrit Holtmann may well regret not beating Nikola Vasilj when played through on goal instead of putting his attempt wide.

Half-time

45'

+ 1

Save

A comfortable hold for Vasilj has he grasps Bero's header.

42'

Yellow card

Gerrit Holtmann

40'

Five minutes remaining

Still time for either side to find a goal before the break.

38'

Bochum more dangerous

xGoals

The xGoals value of a club is calculated from the sum of all goal probabilities (goals and shots on goal) of that team. During a match, it’s easy to see whether the club is performing better than expected (goals > xGoals) - or maybe even higher (xGoals > goals).

The home side have created the best opportunities so far. That Holtmann effort really should have ended up in the back of the net.

xGoals

0.89

0.08

Goals

37'

Close

Another chance for Bochum as Holtmann flicks on a corner, but Mašović can't react in time and the ball hits his shoulder before trickling wide.

31'

Huge opportunity

When Holtmann is released, most can't get close to catching him. He breaks here and bears down on goal but, with only Vasilj to beat, he pushes his effort past the post. The best opening of the game so far.

30'

Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutes

Through high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. Top speed then means, the fastest measured single frame of a player/game.

Felix Passlack32.70km/h

Koji Miyoshi31.81km/h

Matúš Bero31.78km/h

25'

Close

Almost a chance for Pauli as Guilavogui attempts to find an unmarked Afolayan in the box. However, Passlack recovers well to intercept and clear.

24'

Winter's night

It is foggy and chilly in Bochum this evening - exactly what you would expect from a January night.

17'

Bochum circulating possession

The hosts have seen more of the ball so far.

Possession (%)

5743

16'

Save

Irvine's header is straight at Drewes from a corner.

12'

Plenty of energy

There has not been much goalmouth action to talk about early on here, but there is no doubting the two outfits' hunger for all three points.

11'

Wide

Guilavogui's effort on the volley is a half-chance at best, and he ends up putting well past the post. A first effort for Pauli, at least.

Into the top 10

This is Hecking's 426th Bundesliga match as head coach - only nine people have managed more.

Early sighter

Wittek shoots from distance, and Vasilj gets down well to hold the ball safely

Up and running

We are underway in Bochum in a game that could have big implications for the battle to beat the drop.

Kick-off!

Five minutes to go

The players are getting ready to make their way onto the pitch.

0:07

Watch: St. Pauli arrive

The visitors looked raring to go as they arrived by bus earlier.

Wednesday wins

Pauli certainly enjoying playing on Wednesdays in the Bundesliga - they have won their past four such matches, including against Bayern Munich during the 2001/02 season. Bochum, meanwhile, have lost their past six on this day, so the visitors have the upper hand.

Tale of the tape

Pauli are without a win in five matches against Bochum, but have the upper hand historically, winning 13 of the meetings between the two compared to their opponents' nine.

Bochum team news

Dieter Hecking, meanwhile, makes three changes to the side that lost at Mainz 2-0. Erhan Mašović, Koji Miyoshi and Gerrit Holtmann come in for Tim Oermann, Anthony Losilla and Moritz Broschinski, with Bochum lining up in a 3-4-3 formation compared to the 3-5-2 they used last time out.

St. Pauli team news

With eight players unable due to injury, Alexander Blessin names the same team that narrowly lost 1-0 to Eintracht Frankfurt in their first game of 2025. Jackson Irvine is captain, with Danel Sinani leading the line.

Bochum starting XI

Drewes - Mašović, Ordets, Bernardo - Passlack, Bero, Sissoko, Wittek - Miyoshi, Hofmann (c), Holtmann

Bochum subs

Horn, Gamboa, Medić, Loosli, Daschner, de Wit, Boadu, Bamba, Broschinski

St. Pauli starting XI

Vasilj - Wahl, Smith, Nemeth - Saliakas, Irvine (c), Boukhalfa, Treu - Guilavogui, Sinani, Afolayan

St. Pauli subs

Voll, Stevens, Dźwigała, Sands, Ahlstrand, Ceesay, Weißhaupt, Banks, Albers

A wealth of experience

Bochum and St. Pauli have the second- and third-oldest teams in the Bundesliga this season. The Blues players used this season have an average age of just under 28, while St. Pauli players average out at 27.6 years old. Only Bayern Munich have notched a higher average age this season.

Work to do

Both clubs need to improve offensively; St. Pauli have scored the fewest goals in the division (12), with Bochum not far in front (13).

Hermetic

Despite being freshly promoted from Bundesliga 2, St. Pauli have conceded just 20 goals over the first 16 matchdays - a feat topped only by record champions and current league leaders Bayern Munich (13 goals conceded).

With immediate effect

Dieter Hecking has stabilised Bochum's defence remarkably quickly – with him in charge, the Blues have conceded only eight goals in seven Bundesliga games after shipping 29 over the first nine matches of the season.

Strong away form

St. Pauli have been more successful away from home this season than they have been at home, with the Hamburg club picking up nine of their 14 points and three of their four wins on the road. In fact, St. Pauli could even equal a club record in tonight's match, which stands at four away wins over a complete Bundesliga season.

Building

Bochum have picked up points in two of their three home games since Dieter Hecking took the reins in November. The first of those two home games was a 1-1 draw with champions Leverkusen on Matchday 10 - the last time Xabi Alonso's side dropped a point - while the second, their last time out at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion, saw them clinch their long-awaited first win of the season, 2-0 against Heidenheim.

Alexander Blessin on Bochum

"Dieter Hecking has managed to get the team back on track with a common goal. It will be a difficult game because they have a clear structure, work with long balls and look for their target players. We have to hold our own. It's about finding a balance between attack and defence. We want to be brave and greedy, but without throwing our structure overboard."

Dieter Hecking on St. Pauli

"Alexander Blessin has found a good mix with this team. They play very well together as a collective. They haven't conceded many goals - even against top teams. St. Pauli have a very good structure against the ball. They also cover a lot of ground, which makes them one of the top teams in the Bundesliga."

Probable line-ups

Who’s set to play this weekend? Who’s going to miss out? Keep up to date with all the latest team news right here!

2:03

Watch: Mainz 2-0 Bochum - Highlights

Bochum couldn't halt an in-form Mainz side last time out, meaning it was their 12th defeat of the season. They had picked up four points from the previous six before playing Bo Henriksen's side, but remain rooted to the bottom of the table with six points.

2:03

Watch: St. Pauli 0-1 Eintracht Frankfurt - highlights

Having won 1-0 against Stuttgart on Matchday 15, Pauli then fell to a 1-0 loss to Frankfurt the following week. Although that was their third loss in five games, they remain just clear of the relegation zone.

It's been a while...

Bochum took four points off St. Pauli during their 2020/21 promotion-winning Bundesliga 2 campaign, but you have to go all the way back to 1996/97 for their last top-flight meeting. It ended in a 6-0 home win for Bochum, who went on to finish the campaign in fifth, securing UEFA Cup football as a result. Pauli were relegated in last place.

Hello and welcome!

Welcome along and thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of this Matchday 17 fixture between VfL Bochum 1848 and FC St. Pauli.