BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Borussia Dortmund narrowly avoided a costly slip-up in the dying seconds. The Bundesliga's second-placed team kicked off the second half of the season with a dramatic 3-2 win over FC St. Pauli, thanks to a late penalty goal, witnessed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. With this result, BVB closed the gap on league leaders Bayern Munich to eight points ahead of Bayern's top match tonight at RB Leipzig (6:30 p.m.).
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim continued their positive run with a 1-0 victory over former champions Bayer Leverkusen, moving up to third place for now. In the battle against relegation, 1. FC Cologne celebrated a crucial 2-1 win over FV Mainz 05. 1. FC Heidenheim drew 1-1 at VfL Wolfsburg, while Hamburg SV played out a goalless draw at home against Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 18th matchday began with Eintracht Frankfurt drawing 3-3 at Werder Bremen.
Borussia Dortmund - FC St. Pauli 3:2 (1:0)
Dortmund led 2-0, but nearly failed to secure victory against the new bottom side. The Borussians took a long time to break the deadlock against St. Pauli. Julian Brandt finally found the net in the first minute of stoppage time in the opening half. Up to that point, the Westphalians' performance was far from convincing against a St. Pauli side that has never won in Dortmund.
After the break, Karim Adeyemi (54;) doubled the hosts' lead, but St. Pauli refused to give in: James Sands (62;) pulled one back, and Ricky-Jade Jones even equalized (72;). However, Emre Can secured BVB's victory with a stoppage-time penalty.
VfL Wolfsburg - 1. FC Heidenheim 1:1 (0:1)
In Wolfsburg, the first goal also came in the first minute of stoppage time – but for the visitors, which at that moment meant St. Pauli, not Heidenheim, dropped to the bottom of the table. Adrian Beck gave Heidenheim the lead in a clash between the Bundesliga's two weakest defenses. But Wolfsburg equalized through Moritz Jenz (80;). Heidenheim moved up to 16th place.
TSG Hoffenheim - Bayer Leverkusen 1:0 (1:0)
Hoffenheim remains in top form – Leverkusen, far from it. There was no response from the former champions after their 1-4 defeat to VfB Stuttgart to start the year. Following the postponement of HSV's midweek match, there were no points for Leverkusen again. Wouter Burger scored a stunning free-kick in the ninth minute to give TSG the lead, and Hoffenheim continued to impress, ultimately beating Leverkusen at home in Sinsheim for the first time in nearly six years.
1. FC Cologne - FSV Mainz 05 2:1 (0:1)
Mainz suffered their first defeat under new coach Urs Fischer – much to the delight of his counterpart Lukas Kwasniok. His Cologne side earned their first win in eight matches. Stefan Bell scored for Mainz in the 29th minute, and the Cologne team was booed off at halftime. But then: Ragnar Ache (57;) equalized and also netted the winner (85;). Mainz slipped to the bottom of the table.
Hamburg SV - Borussia Mönchengladbach 0:0
Plenty of possession, many more chances, but no goals: After their postponed home opener against Leverkusen, HSV could only manage a goalless draw in their first home game of the new year. Against the Borussians – who had previously suffered a 1-5 defeat to Hoffenheim – Hamburg lacked only the decisive goal./jmx/DP/zb

















