Eintracht Norderstedt vs St. Pauli II

Eintracht Norderstedt rescued a 1-1 draw against St. Pauli II on Sunday, with M. Nejad striking in the 89th minute to cancel out Marwin Reiner Ian Schmitz's 83rd-minute opener in a pre-season friendly that burst into life late on.

How it unfolded

The first half was a goalless affair, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances in front of a modest crowd of 180 at the Edmund-Plambeck-Stadion. Norderstedt's starting XI, featuring Lars Huxsohl in goal and a back four of Dane Kummerfeld, Endrik Jaschan, Manasse Fionouke and Leon Pesch, kept St. Pauli II at bay during the opening 45 minutes.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 83rd minute when Schmitz found the net for the visitors, putting St. Pauli II on course for a hard-fought away win. But Norderstedt rallied and levelled deep into the closing stages through Nejad, whose strike rescued a point for the Regionalliga Nord side with just a minute of normal time remaining.

The turning point

Nejad's 89th-minute equaliser. Having soaked up pressure for much of the second half after falling behind, Norderstedt's late response flipped the result. A draw felt like a win for the hosts, who had trailed for only six minutes before striking back.

Key performers

Marwin Reiner Ian Schmitz (St. Pauli II) — the goalscorer who broke the deadlock and looked to have secured the victory for the visitors until the very late equaliser.

M. Nejad (Eintracht Norderstedt) — the late hero, popping up with the equaliser in the 89th minute when it mattered most.

Lars Huxsohl (Eintracht Norderstedt) — the goalkeeper kept a clean sheet in the first half and could do little about Schmitz's goal.

By the numbers — interpreted

The 1-1 scoreline is now the most common result in this fixture's history (four draws in 13 meetings). The match bucked the trend of high-scoring encounters between these sides — 69% of their previous meetings had produced over 2.5 goals, and the average had been 3.31 goals per game. This was a far tighter, more cagey affair, with both goals arriving in the final seven minutes.

What it means

This was a pre-season friendly for both clubs as they prepare for the 2026/27 Regionalliga Nord campaign. Both sides will be satisfied with the workout against regional opposition, though St. Pauli II will rue conceding so late after having done the hard work. The result extends Norderstedt's unbeaten start to pre-season preparations.

Verdict

A typical pre-season friendly that sprang to life in the closing stages. St. Pauli II will feel they did enough to win, but Norderstedt's persistence was rewarded. The even contest suggests both sides are at a similar stage of pre-season readiness.