HAMBURG, Germany (Interstat) — Martijn Kaars scored twice to lead Saint Pauli to a 2-1 comeback victory over Heidenheim in the Bundesliga on Saturday, defying a numerical disadvantage for much of the match at Millerntor-Stadion.

The home side secured the three points despite playing with 10 men for the entire second half after a red card to defender Eric Smith just before the break. The result gave Saint Pauli a winning start to its league campaign, moving its season record to 1-0-0, while Heidenheim began its season 0-0-1.

The game’s complexion changed dramatically in a chaotic 10-minute span late in the first half. Heidenheim struck first in the 35th minute against the run of play. Midfielder James Sands, who was shown a yellow card 10 minutes earlier, delivered the assist, finding Kaars for a clinical finish to put the visitors ahead 1-0.

Saint Pauli’s task grew immensely more difficult just before halftime. In the 45th minute, Smith was sent off with a straight red card, forcing the home team to navigate the remainder of the match a man down.

Undeterred, Saint Pauli leveled the score early in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Kaars struck again, completing his brace to make it 1-1. The equalizer was assisted by midfielder Arkadiusz Pyrka.

The comeback was completed 11 minutes later by substitute Marvin Pieringer. Introduced after the red card to provide fresh energy, Pieringer netted the decisive goal in the 64th minute, assisted by fellow substitute Mikkel Kaufmann, to put Saint Pauli ahead 2-1.

Heidenheim, unable to capitalize on its extra player, saw its only other notable first-half booking when substitute Jan Schöppner received a yellow card in the 42nd minute. The second half grew increasingly fractious, with three more cautions issued. Pyrka was booked for Saint Pauli in the 69th minute, followed by Kaufmann in the 73rd and Pieringer in the 87th.

The victory marked a significant outperformance of pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, while its ELO rating system gave Saint Pauli a 72.6 percent probability to win outright. Saint Pauli’s resilience to secure the win while shorthanded will be a notable early-season talking point.

With the win, Saint Pauli’s record across all competitions this season improves to 1-0-0. Heidenheim’s overall record falls to 0-0-1. The clubs will continue their Bundesliga schedules next weekend.