FC St. Pauli earned a 2-2 away draw at Arminia Bielefeld on Friday, September 4, 2026. The Boys in Brown came from behind twice, with Abdoulie Ceesay scoring the decisive equaliser in the 65th minute.
How did the match against Arminia Bielefeld unfold?
Arminia Bielefeld took an early lead through Jannik Rochelt in the 13th minute. FC St. Pauli responded quickly. Just seven minutes later, Taichi Hara equalised following a tackle by David Nemeth. Shortly before half-time, Arminia thought they had retaken the lead, but Marvin Mehlem's goal was ruled out for a foul on Nemeth.
After the break, Joel Grodowski put the hosts ahead again in the 51st minute. FC St. Pauli kept pushing and were rewarded in the 65th minute. Arkadiusz Pyrka drove down the right wing and delivered a precise cross into the box. Substitute Abdoulie Ceesay reacted faster than goalkeeper Jonas Kersken and flicked the ball home with a backheel to make it 2-2. The visitors pressed for a winner afterwards but could not find another way through the Bielefeld defence.
Why was the starting lineup unchanged?
Head coach Marcel Rapp kept faith with the same starting eleven that lost to 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the previous match. Rapp explained after the game that he had been satisfied with the team's performance against Kaiserslautern. This meant Scott Banks and Ricky-Jade Jones were again left out of the matchday squad.
Arminia Bielefeld, meanwhile, made two changes. Arne Sicker replaced Tim Handwerker at left-back and Marius Wörl came in for Sam Schreck. The home side operated in a 4-3-3 formation against FC St. Pauli's 3-4-1-2. Rapp's team started the match with aggressive pressing, putting the opponent under significant pressure in the opening minutes.
What is FC St. Pauli's league position?
The point from Bielefeld only slightly improves FC St. Pauli's situation in the 2. Bundesliga. The team is in 15th place after four matchdays with three points. Their record reads zero wins, three draws and one defeat. Their recent form is DLDD. The club has scored six goals and conceded seven, resulting in a goal difference of minus one.
The gap to league leaders Hertha BSC is already nine points. The next opportunity to collect points comes on September 12, 2026. FC St. Pauli will then host VfL Wolfsburg, who are currently fourth in the table. All upcoming fixtures can be found on our fixtures page. The current standings show the tight mid-table battle in the league.
What was the key to earning a point?
Efficiency in front of goal was decisive for the draw. FC St. Pauli took their big chances, something they had failed to do in recent matches. At the same time, defensive errors again contributed to the goals they conceded, a pattern repeating this season. Substitute Abdoulie Ceesay became the match-winner with his clever backheel finish.
The team showed good morale after going behind twice and fought their way back into the game. Better balance in midfield and improved ball circulation in the second half laid the foundation for the point. A complete overview of individual player performances is available on our stats page. The next home game against Wolfsburg on September 12 is the next challenge.
