FC St. Pauli 1-3 VfL Wolfsburg result, stats and report

Holstein Kiel dominated possession and territory for large stretches but could not hold their lead, as FC St. Pauli came from two goals down to claim a point through a late right-foot finish in the 88th minute.

FC St. Pauli controlled the vast majority of this 2. Bundesliga opener, yet a Greuther Fürth equaliser five minutes into the second half ensured the points were shared in a game that illustrated, with some cruelty, the distance between creating and converting.

VfL Wolfsburg dominated the ball, generated 19 shots and nine corners, and still could not find a way through a resolute Kaiserslautern side who defended their shape with clarity and punished the hosts for their wastefulness in the final third.

Energie Cottbus host FC St. Pauli in the 2. Bundesliga on Sunday with both sides struggling for consistency, but it is the home defence that is raising the most serious questions. Neither team has kept a clean sheet in their last three completed league matches.

VfL Wolfsburg host a Darmstadt 98 side that has not won in ten 2. Bundesliga matches, and on Friday evening in Lower Saxony, the numbers make for grim reading for the visitors.

FC St. Pauli head into Saturday's 2. Bundesliga fixture against VfL Wolfsburg carrying the weight of a deeply concerning run of form, while their visitors arrive with two clean sheets from two and a clear sense of purpose. This is a game that tells you a great deal about where both clubs are heading.

DSC Arminia Bielefeld host FC St. Pauli on Friday evening carrying one of the division's most impressive home records, while the visitors arrive having failed to win a single away fixture in their last ten attempts. The context could not be more stark.

VfL Wolfsburg host Energie Cottbus on Saturday looking to build on an unbeaten start, but the underlying numbers tell a more complicated story for both sides than the early standings suggest.