Dutch-Ghanaian winger Ernest Poku came off the bench to score a decisive winner as Bayer Leverkusen edged St. Pauli 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Introduced in the 56th minute, Poku wasted little time to make his mark. Just two minutes later, he timed his run perfectly onto an Alejandro Grimaldo pass before rifling a low right-footed effort into the bottom corner, sending the travelling fans into wild celebration at the Millerntor-Stadion.
Earlier, Edmond Tapsoba had put Leverkusen ahead in the 25th minute, but St. Pauli hit back through Hauke Wahl before the break. The hosts pressed aggressively in the second half but found Leverkusen’s defence too organised to break down.
Poku’s sharp cameo not only restored Leverkusen’s advantage but also injected energy into their forward play, drawing praise from both his coach and the supporters.
The victory keeps Leverkusen’s strong start intact as they now turn focus to their upcoming **Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven on October 1
