Borussia Mönchengladbach flies out of the DFB Cup: St. Pauli wins 2-1!

Borussia Mönchengladbach flies out of the DFB Cup: St. Pauli wins 2-1!

Last Friday, December 3rd, 2025, Borussia Mönchengladbach lost out in the DFB Cup round of 16 against FC St. Pauli. The match ended in a 1-2 defeat, which was a bitter disappointment for Gladbach. Coach Eugen Polanski had to make four changes to the starting line-up due to several injuries and illnesses. Ullrich, Stöger, Reyna and Machino were allowed to start, while Leon Netz and Jan Reitz sat on the bench. Castrop was ill, Neuhaus had muscular problems, and Hack was also missing due to knee problems.

The game started cautiously and the first chances were a long time coming. Stöger caused the first upset in the 11th minute, followed by an opportunity for St. Pauli. Gladbacher Tabaković was unlucky in the first half when his header went wide of the goal. Shortly before the break, however, there was a setback for the home team. Gladbach's defensive problems led to a goal conceded in the 43rd minute, which Kaars scored and put the Hamburg kickers in the lead.

An exchange of blows after halftime

After the break, Borussia Mönchengladbach increased the pressure and was able to equalize in the 56th minute through Tabaković. But St. Pauli remained stable and countered courageously. Several opportunities remained unused, including a shot from Oppie that only hit the side netting. In the 83rd minute it was Oppie who scored the 1:2 for St. Pauli and thus secured their place in the quarter-finals.

Despite Gladbach's efforts in stoppage time, nothing countable was achieved. A shot from Reitz was parried by Vasilj, the St. Pauli goalkeeper. Borussia Mönchengladbach has therefore been eliminated from the DFB Cup and once again missed the chance of a title.

Gladbach's cup record

In the recent past, Borussia Mönchengladbach had an eventful history in the DFB Cup. The club has been in the final five times and can boast three titles, which were won in 1960, 1973 and 1995. The biggest success in recent years was reaching the semi-finals in the 2016/2017 season. However, the record of the last ten years is marked by disillusionment: the Gladbach team were eliminated four times in the second round, three times in the round of 16, twice in the quarter-finals and once in the semi-finals. The last time the team got hit was in the 2024/2025 season, when they were already out 2-1 in the second round against Eintracht Frankfurt, even though they played 75 minutes in the majority.

This defeat against St. Pauli is particularly painful given the high level of competition and ambitions that Gladbach had this cup season. The next challenge for the team will be to find the motivation and fighting spirit in the Bundesliga to win back the fans and start a positive trend.