Bundesliga
St. Pauli and Borussia Dortmund played out a captivating, end-to-end encounter on the Bundesliga's opening weekend as Eric Smith's stunning late equaliser earned the hosts a 3-3 draw against the Black-and-Yellows.
St. Pauli 3-3 Borussia Dortmund
Goals: 0-1 Guirassy 34' (assist: Sabitzer), 1-1 Hountondji 50' (assist: Sinani), 1-2 Anton 67' (assist: Nmecha), 1-3 Brandt 74' (assist: Groß), 2-3 Sinani 86' (pen.), 3-3 Smith 89' (assist: Saliakis)
Red cards: Mané 86'
The hosts, who secured Bundesliga survival last season, were facing a visiting side looking to extend their remarkable record of winning on the opening day for an 11th consecutive campaign.
Pauli coach Alexander Blessin promised his side would not be overawed by the occasion, and fielded five summer signings in his starting line-up, while Dortmund manager Niko Kovač gave a Bundesliga debut to Jobe Bellingham.
As the game progressed, Dortmund gradually asserted their control, and Serhou Guirassy tested Nikola Vasilj with a shot from a tight angle. The Pauli keeper was then called into more significant action, denying Pascal Groß from close range after a clever backheel from Karim Adeyemi.
Ultimately, the visitors' pressure told in the 34th minute when Marcel Sabitzer's precise cross found Guirassy, who powered a header beyond Vasilj for the opening goal.
Dortmund should have doubled their advantage when they were awarded a penalty after Eric Smith fouled Adeyemi, but Vasilj dived to his right to deny Guirassy from the spot – a crucial save that would prove significant.
Kovač made two changes at the interval, introducing Julian Brandt and Felix Nmecha, but it was St. Pauli who struck first in the second half. Just five minutes after the restart, Danel Sinani's pinpoint cross found Andréas Hountondji, who headed past Gregor Kobel to level the scores.
The parity lasted just 17 minutes, though, before Waldemar Anton restored Dortmund's lead, his effort taking a slight deflection on its way past Vasilj.
When Brandt added a third for the visitors – a sumptuous volley from Groß's lofted pass – the game appeared settled.
The complexion of the match changed dramatically in the 85th minute when Dortmund debutant Filippo Mané was shown a straight red card for pulling down Abdoulie Ceesay in the penalty area. Sinani stepped up to convert the spot-kick, sending Kobel the wrong way and giving the hosts renewed hope.
With the Millerntor crowd roaring them on, Pauli poured forward and were rewarded when Smith unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the area that flew into the corner of the net.
Despite playing only the second half, Julian Brandt made a decisive impact that nearly secured all three points for Dortmund. His stunning volley for the visitors' third goal was the highlight of a performance that demonstrated his technical excellence and vision. Coming off the bench, Brandt immediately influenced proceedings, testing Vasilj with a curling effort shortly after the restart.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: St. Pauli 1.51 - Dortmund 1.63
Fastest player: Karim Adeyemi (Dortmund), 34.25 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 3-3 by Eric Smith (Pauli), 2 percent
Most pressed player: Serhou Guirassy (Dortmund), 18 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Arkadiusz Pyrka (Pauli), +5.14
Fantasy Heroes: Danel Sinani (Pauli, 328 Points), Waldemar Anton (Dortmund, 298 Points), Nikola Vasilj (Pauli, 231 Points)