St. Pauli secure Bundesliga promotion, Braunschweig and Lautern safe from relegation
In a parallel match with massive ramifications for the 2. Bundesliga relegation race, Eintracht Braunschweig were able to secure safety for both themselves and the Pfalz's 1. FC Kaiserslautern with a 1-0 win over SV Wehen Wiesbaden.
Following Holstein Kiel's promotion to the top flight last night, the second new entrant to the 2024/25 German Bundesliga has been confirmed. Hamburg's FC St. Pauli hosted already relegated VfL Osnabrück at the Millerntor on Sunday afternoon, needing only a draw to avoid the relegation playoffs. A 3-0 victory for one of Germany's great cult clubs ensures that Fortuna Düsseldorf will play the top flight's 16th place side for promotion this year.
Spurned on by their notoriously spirited home-town fans, the Kiezkicker were able to rush out to a 1-0 lead via some nice combination play in the 7th. Goal-scorer Oladapo Afolayan would eventually complete a scorer's brace when the 2-0 was netted in the 58th. Afolayan supplied the assist on Marcel Hartel's 3-0 in the 68th. Hartel's 30th scorer point moved him ahead of Hertha's Harris Tabakovic for the league lead.
The Lower Saxon guests had very little to offer in the one-sided affair. Last-placed Osnabrück's relegation had been in the cards for quite some time. The Lilia-Weißen even had to play a spectator-less ghost-game at the Millentor due to the dilapidated condition of their own home ground midweek. Osnabrück are headed back down to the 3. Liga just one year after being promoted. A late consolation goal was scored on Sunday from the spot.
Insofar as the 2. Bundesliga's relegation race is concerned, a parallel kickoff delivered significant development's for the field. Eintracht Braunschweig secured both safety for themselves and 1. FC Kaiserslautern by defeating SV Wehen Wiesbaden 1-0 at home. Wiesbaden - themselves promoted via the playoffs last year - currently occupy the playoff place.
Wiesbaden (on 32 points) are one point ahead of 17th-placed Hansa Rostock. Matters will get quite interesting on the second division's final match-day in one week's time. Wiesbaden will host a St. Pauli side contending for the league championship while Rostock welcome a Paderborn team with nothing to play for.