The match between FC St. Pauli and Borussia Dortmund was marked by decisive moments contested by millimeters, illustrating once again the impact of video assistant refereeing (VAR) on the course of matches. Despite an encouraging performance, St. Pauli lost by a score of 2-1, highlighting the controversial VAR decisions.
A tight match and an annulled opening goal
In a stadium filled with 81,365 spectators, the players of St. Pauli showed total commitment. However, despite their efforts, they faced an inflexible VAR decision. A first goal, scored by Morgan Guilavogui in the 30th minute, was annulled after a check for offside. The footage revealed that Guilavogui was indeed in an illegal position, but by a very slim margin.
Shortly after this disappointment, Borussia Dortmund managed to take the lead in the 43rd minute through Bensebaini, who capitalized on St. Pauli’s overly deep defense to score with a quick header. This goal seemed to weaken the morale of the players, but St. Pauli continued to fight to get back into the match.
A disputed but valid equalizer
The second half saw St. Pauli respond determinedly. Coach Alex Blessin introduced Scott Banks, whose involvement was crucial for the equalizer. In the 78th minute, Banks saw his shot blocked, but the ball reached Eric Smith, who succeeded in sending a splendid strike from 25 meters to make it 1-1. The fact that Dapo Afolayan was in the line of sight of the Dortmund goalkeeper was not deemed sufficient by VAR to annul this goal.
However, the equalizer did not last long. In the 83rd minute, Guirassy allowed Dortmund to regain the advantage with a headed goal, causing further frustration for St. Pauli. At the end of the match, Dzwigala had a golden opportunity to equalize but lacked precision, leaving St. Pauli on the brink of a precious victory.
Conclusion: A match with controversial decisions
This match highlighted the debate surrounding VAR, proving once again that decisions can be paralyzing and generate a lot of emotions for both players and supporters. St. Pauli can take pride in their commitment and performance, but must now focus on the upcoming challenges to capitalize on their potential. The fight for points will be essential in the weeks to come.
FC St. Pauli demonstrated that they were capable of competing with great teams, but decisions as tight as offside by a millimeter can sometimes make all the difference on the pitch.
Source: www.bild.de