FC St. Pauli draw 2-2 at Arminia Bielefeld, extending winless run to 188 days
Relegated FC St. Pauli secured a 2-2 draw at Arminia Bielefeld with goals from Taichi Hara and Abdoulie Ceesay, remaining without a competitive win after four league matchdays.
Winless run extends to 188 days across 15 matches
FC St. Pauli extended their winless streak in competitive football to 188 days following a 2-2 draw against Arminia Bielefeld in the 2. Bundesliga on 4 September 2026. The Hamburg club, relegated from the Bundesliga at the end of the previous season, have now failed to win any of their last 15 competitive fixtures. That sequence includes the final ten matches of their Bundesliga relegation campaign, four league matches in the current second-division season, and an opening-round elimination from the DFB-Pokal. St. Pauli last celebrated a competitive victory on 28 February 2026, when they secured a 1-0 win away at TSG Hoffenheim. Under new head coach Marcel Rapp, St. Pauli is currently the only team across the 36 clubs in Germany's top two divisions without a single competitive victory this season, holding three points from three draws and one defeat in league play.
First-half defensive breakdown and quick equalizer
In the first half on the Alm in Bielefeld, St. Pauli attempted to control the tempo and recorded more possession, but struggled to generate clear chances in the final third. Outside of an 11th-minute free kick taken by Eric Smith, the visitors lacked dangerous attempts on goal before the home side struck. Arminia Bielefeld took the lead in the 13th minute after a long goal kick from goalkeeper Jonas Kersken resulted in consecutive defensive errors. Marcus Mathisen declined to challenge for the aerial duel, and central defender David Nemeth slipped during the running battle with Jannik Rochelt, giving the Bielefeld attacker space to finish with a left-footed strike. St. Pauli responded seven minutes later in the 20th minute, when Nemeth sent a through pass into the box for Taichi Hara, who scored with a right-footed shot into the far corner.
Second-half lead changes and Ceesay backheel
Dissatisfied with his side's offensive sharpness, Rapp made two tactical changes at the interval by bringing on Abdoulie Ceesay and Connor Metcalfe. Despite the adjustments, Bielefeld restored their advantage six minutes into the second half when Joel Grodowski scored in the 51st minute to make it 2:1. St. Pauli continued to press forward and found an equalizer in the 65th minute through Ceesay, who converted an opportunity with a backheel finish to set the final score at 2-2. The draw preserved an unbeaten home start for Arminia Bielefeld under their new manager Oliver Kirch, who has collected four points from his opening four league games of the campaign.
- Eric Smith takes an early free kick for FC St. Pauli.
- Jannik Rochelt scores with a left-footed shot to give Arminia Bielefeld a 1-0 lead.
- Taichi Hara equalizes for FC St. Pauli with a right-footed shot following a pass from David Nemeth.
- Marcel Rapp introduces substitutes Abdoulie Ceesay and Connor Metcalfe for FC St. Pauli.
- Joel Grodowski scores to restore Arminia Bielefeld's lead at 2-1.
- Abdoulie Ceesay scores with a backheel to level the match at 2-2.
Ongoing defensive concerns and upcoming fixtures
The 2-2 result followed first-round exits for both clubs in the DFB-Pokal two weeks earlier, where each fell to a third-tier opponent, including St. Pauli's 2-0 defeat against Rot-Weiss Essen. St. Pauli have now conceded seven goals in their first four 2. Bundesliga matches, having also failed to keep a clean sheet during their pre-season friendly schedule. In another 2. Bundesliga match on Friday evening, Hannover 96 and Karlsruher SC also completed a 2-2 draw. Looking ahead, Arminia Bielefeld are scheduled to play away at SV Darmstadt 98 next Friday, while St. Pauli will host fellow relegated club VfL Wolfsburg in a Saturday night floodlit fixture.
