TSG Hoffenheim slips into the relegation battle for a bitter mistake

TSG Hoffenheim slips into the relegation battle for a bitter mistake

Millerntor-Stadion, 20359 Hamburg, Deutschland - FC St. Pauli was finally able to win again after a long dry spell of six games. On March 14, 2025, the team defeated TSG Hoffenheim 1-0, with goalkeeper Oliver Baumann decisively contributing to the loss of his team due to a catastrophic wrong pass. Noah Weißhaupt scored the only goal of the game in the 51st minute and thus secured the three -point win for the men of coach Alexander Blessin.

The match took place in front of 29,546 spectators in the sold-out Millerntor Stadium. St. Pauli started aggressively and invested a lot in the initial phase of the game. Jackson Irvine already had the first noteworthy chance in the 5th minute. Furthermore, the Kiezkicker often searched the way across the left flank, where Philipp Treu and Elias Saad drove the attack. Hoffenheim, on his part, relyed on a waiting style of play and was only able to appear sporadically offensive.

Baumann's error and its consequences

The decisive mistake of Baumann, who was unable to fend off a free kick from Eric Smith in the 57th minute, led directly to the goal of Weißhaupt. St. Pauli had already set up pressure up to this point, but the team spirit of Hoffenheim was strong enough to minimize further damage. Despite a late offensive movement, Hoffenheim did not find the necessary means to achieve the balance. The Kraichgauer slipped back into the relegation battle and now only have one point ahead of FC St. Pauli.

With the victory, the pressure on St. Pauli is temporarily dropping, which is drawn to the 14th place to 21 points. Hoffenheim, on the other hand, continues to have a narrow lead over the teams at risk of relegation.

Current table situation in relegation battle

In the current situation of the Bundesliga, the situation and the different starting points are noticeably tangled for the teams. At the stand of the table before the 25th matchday, it looks as follows:

The next games are crucial for all teams in the relegation battle. Hoffenheim awaits the bottom of the table FC Heidenheim while St. Pauli meets VfL Wolfsburg. Both teams urgently need to score to reduce the pressure and to work out of the relegation zone.

As the current situation shows, the relegation battle in the Bundesliga is more exciting as ever. Six teams are under pressure, and each point counts in the decisive phase of the season. While St. Pauli can experience a glimmer of hope, a lot is at stake for Hoffenheim so as not to slip into the table situations.

FC St. Pauli has the opportunity to use this success as a springboard for the upcoming games, while Hoffenheim has to collect to create the turn in time. The next games promise tension and everything can quickly turn in the relegation battle. Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger and Sportschau continue to report on the developments in the Bundesliga.