Werder Bremen earned first home league win in the Bundesliga against St. Pauli after a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Wohninvest Weserstadion.
The Nigeria Super Eagles forward, Victor Boniface was substituted in the 81st minute for the DR Congolese descent, Samuel Mbagula who scored the lone goal.
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The hosts couldn’t have asked for a better start, taking the lead after just two minutes. Jens Stage moved the ball out to the right flank where Justin Njinmah attempted a cross that was blocked. The rebound fell perfectly for Mbangula, who fired a clinical low finish into the bottom corner from 18 yards out.
Bremen continued to dominate the early stages, with Yukinari Sugawara forcing a stunning reaction save from Nikola Vasilj in the ninth minute following a swift counter-attack.
Bremen should have sealed the points in the 81st minute when Patrice Čović, on as a substitute, was denied by Vasilj in a one-on-one situation after being released by Romano Schmid.
Victor Boniface squandered another opportunity in stoppage time, cutting back onto his right foot inside the box but dragging his shot wide. It mattered not, as Bremen held firm to secure their first home win of the season.
After their first home win of the season, Werder Bremen head coach Horst Steffen said;
“That was an important home win. I hope the fans can go home with a good feeling, even though it was a hard-fought match.
“We had good solutions and were able to switch quickly. St. Pauli improved over time, which meant we had to defend a lot, but we did that very well.
