05/09/26 10:51:00
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05/09 10:50 CDT Leipzig back in Champions League with win over troubled St.
Pauli in Bundesliga
Leipzig back in Champions League with win over troubled St. Pauli in Bundesliga
By JAMES ELLINGWORTH
AP Sports Writer
Leipzig survived a late scare to secure a Champions League return for next
season and a 2-1 win over St. Pauli made sure of third place in the Bundesliga
on Saturday.
Leipzig was leading 2-0 with both goals from corners after Xaver Schlager
bundled in a loose ball just before halftime and Willi Orban headed in shortly
after the break.
Relegation-threatened St. Pauli showed late signs of life through Abdoulie
Ceesay's 86th-minute goal off an unusual long-range header assist by Jackson
Irvine.
It's a much better season for Leipzig after placing seventh last year, its
worst top-flight finish, and also losing seven of eight Champions League games.
St. Pauli was 17th in the 18-team league following its ninth winless game in a
row. If 16th-placed Wolfsburg can upset Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich or
draw later Saturday, it would leave St. Pauli needing a big final-day win to
have any hope of survival.
Stuttgart closes on European spot
Deniz Undav's 19th league goal of the season capped a 3-1 comeback win for
Stuttgart over Bayer Leverkusen to leave Stuttgart in the fourth Champions
League spot.
Leverkusen stunned with Aleix Garcia's goal 34 seconds into the game on the
counter, but Ermedin Demirovic leveled for Stuttgart in the fifth minute and
won a penalty that Maximilian Mittelstdt converted to take the lead just
before halftime.
Undav, the second highest scorer in the league after Bayern's Harry Kane, added
a third off Jamie Leweling's cross.
Leverkusen was sixth with only a slim chance of a Champions League spot.
Hoffenheim was level on points with Stuttgart in fifth after its 1-0 win over
Werder Bremen was made easier by a fifth-minute red card for Bremen's Yukinari
Sugawara for a reckless studs-up challenge. Bazoumana Toure scored the only
goal from a quickly taken corner.
Augsburg was ninth after a 3-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach boosted its
hopes of reaching next season's Conference League.
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