HAMBURG, Germany (Interstat) — In a match that defied pregame projections, FC St. Pauli opened its Bundesliga season with a spirited 2-1 victory over northern rival Werder Bremen on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, at a raucous Millerntor-Stadion.

The result flipped the script on statistical forecasts. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 2-1 win for Werder Bremen, while its ELO system gave St. Pauli a 71.9% probability to win. The actual outcome fell in line with the oddsmakers’ favor but not the simulated scoreline, as St. Pauli’s efficiency in a 15-minute second-half barrage proved decisive.

The first half was a tense, physical affair that produced more cautions than clear chances. Werder Bremen’s Isaac Schmidt was shown a yellow card in the 7th minute, setting a combative tone. St. Pauli forward Martijn Kaars followed with a booking in the 29th minute, and Bremen’s Senne Lynen was cautioned just before halftime in the 54th.

The match ignited immediately after that final first-half caution. Just one minute later, in the 55th, St. Pauli defender Hauke Wahl broke the deadlock. The veteran center-back found the net to send the home supporters into a frenzy, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Werder Bremen’s response was swift. Seven minutes later, in the 62nd minute, substitute Jovan Milošević announced his impact on the derby. The forward leveled the score at 1-1, capitalizing on service from teammate Manolis Saliakas to silence the Millerntor momentarily.

Parity lasted only eight minutes. St. Pauli reclaimed the lead for good in the 70th minute through midfielder Joel Fujita, who restored the home side’s advantage at 2-1. The assist on the decisive goal came from Milošević, who, after scoring Bremen’s equalizer, turned provider for the opposition in an unusual statistical twist.

The game’s intensity boiled over in the 76th minute, resulting in a flurry of yellow cards. St. Pauli’s Marco Friedl, Manolis Saliakas, and Werder Bremen’s Leonardo Bittencourt and Jovan Milošević were all booked within that tumultuous minute. Bremen substitute Niklas Stark received a late yellow in the 88th minute as the visitors pressed unsuccessfully for a second equalizer.

St. Pauli’s defense held firm through eight minutes of stoppage time to secure the three points. With the win, St. Pauli begins its Bundesliga campaign with one win and no losses, while Werder Bremen starts with no wins and one loss. The records across all competitions for both clubs are identical to their league starts.

The match was ultimately defined by impactful substitutions and key individual performances. Despite being on the losing side, Werder Bremen’s Jovan Milošević was directly involved in both of his team’s goals, scoring one and assisting the other for St. Pauli—an own-assist anomaly. St. Pauli’s goalscorers, Wahl and Fujita, provided the crucial finishing, with Fujita’s 70th-minute strike serving as the match-winner in the tightly contested German top-flight fixture.