DFB-Pokal: Leverkusen prove too strong for St. Pauli, clinch semi-final berth

St. Pauli showed early intent and nearly stunned the hosts in the fourth minute when Daniel Sinani whipped in a dangerous cross, but Martijn Kaars saw his effort blocked and cleared.

That proved to be a rare moment of threat, as Leverkusen soon asserted control, dominating possession for long spells of the first half. Patrick Schick was denied in the 17th minute by a crucial goal-line clearance from Karol Mets.

The breakthrough arrived just after the half-hour mark. A defensive lapse from St. Pauli allowed Martin Terrier to chest the ball down and fire a controlled volley past Ben Voll to give Leverkusen a deserved lead.

St. Pauli briefly grew into the contest before the interval, with Arkadiusz Pyrka's cross finding Kaars in the 40th minute, but the forward lifted his shot over the bar.

The second half became more physical, with frequent fouls disrupting the rhythm. Leverkusen were content to concede possession, knowing St. Pauli - the Bundesliga's lowest-scoring side - lacked penetration.

A short corner routine in the 63rd minute led to the second goal, as Aleix García's cross was guided home by Schick at the back post.

Jonas Hofmann later struck the post before sealing the result two minutes into stoppage time, finishing a counter-attack led by Alejandro Grimaldo.

"St. Pauli didn't have the quality to pose a threat to us today. Even though we really didn't play well," said Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich.

"In the cup it's all about going through to the next round, though, and we've done that. We have one more game to go and then we're back in Berlin."