Leipzig back in Champions League with win over troubled St. Pauli in Bundesliga

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Leipzig's Willi Orban, right, celebrates with and David Raum after scoring, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC St. Pauli, in Leipzig, Germany, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Jan Woitas/dpa via AP)

Stuttgart's Deniz Undav celebrates after scoring during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart, in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP) — Leipzig's Willi Orban, right, celebrates with and David Raum after scoring, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC St. Pauli, in Leipzig, Germany, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Jan Woitas/dpa via AP)

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11:50 AM on Saturday, May 9

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH

Leipzig survived a late scare to secure a Champions League return for next season and a 2-1 win over St. Pauli made sure of third place in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Leipzig was leading 2-0 with both goals from corners after Xaver Schlager bundled in a loose ball just before halftime and Willi Orban headed in shortly after the break.

Relegation-threatened St. Pauli showed late signs of life through Abdoulie Ceesay's 86th-minute goal off an unusual long-range header assist by Jackson Irvine.

It's a much better season for Leipzig after placing seventh last year, its worst top-flight finish, and also losing seven of eight Champions League games.

St. Pauli was 17th in the 18-team league following its ninth winless game in a row. If 16th-placed Wolfsburg can upset Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich or draw later Saturday, it would leave St. Pauli needing a big final-day win to have any hope of survival.

Stuttgart closes on European spot

Deniz Undav's 19th league goal of the season capped a 3-1 comeback win for Stuttgart over Bayer Leverkusen to leave Stuttgart in the fourth Champions League spot.

Leverkusen stunned with Aleix Garcia's goal 34 seconds into the game on the counter, but Ermedin Demirovic leveled for Stuttgart in the fifth minute and won a penalty that Maximilian Mittelstädt converted to take the lead just before halftime.

Undav, the second highest scorer in the league after Bayern's Harry Kane, added a third off Jamie Leweling's cross.

Leverkusen was sixth with only a slim chance of a Champions League spot.

Hoffenheim was level on points with Stuttgart in fifth after its 1-0 win over Werder Bremen was made easier by a fifth-minute red card for Bremen's Yukinari Sugawara for a reckless studs-up challenge. Bazoumana Toure scored the only goal from a quickly taken corner.

Augsburg was ninth after a 3-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach boosted its hopes of reaching next season's Conference League.

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