FC St. Pauli

Following the good performance against Leipzig (0-0), head coach Alexander Blessin saw no reason to change the starting line-up for the game in Freiburg. There was one change, however on the bench: Fin Stevens came into the squad in place of Morgan Guilavogui. SCF coach Julian Schuster also started with the same eleven as began last week in their 3-0 win away at Heidenheim. “We’re aiming to give not one percentage less”, Blessin had stressed before the game. It would only be through a high level of intensity once again that his team would take points in Freiburg, where the home team had started the season well.

In front of a sell-out crowd at the Europa Park Stadium the hosts had significantly more of the ball, but were unable to find a gap in the FCSP defence. While our Boys in Brown stood deep and compact, Freiburg operated mainly with an early press. In the early stages of the game there were hardly any high points. Our boys then had the first chance and were immediately able to celebrate going in front. Manolis Saliakas on the right put a high cross into the box, where Johannes Eggestein fed Elias Saad. He beat off Lukas Kübler and gave Noah Atubolu no chance from seven metres – 1-0 (12)!

Shortly after that, Freiburg had their first chance. Vincenzo Grifo curled a free-kick from nearly 20 metres out over the wall, but Nikola Vasilj was promptly there in the left-hand corner to keep it out (16). Our players maintained the level of intensity and kept Freiburg away from our own goal, while also looking again and again for a way forward. Eggestein crossed from the left towards the on-running Philipp Treu. His header could have found its way into the net, but a Freiburg player stood in the way (21).  At the other end Christian Günter managed to put in a cross from the left to Grifo, whose header however from nine yards out went well wide (28). Freiburg pushed our team ever deeper back into our own half, but without creating any chances.

At the other end Eric Smith stepped up to take a free-kick on the edge of the box after a foul by Matthias Ginter on Saad. He got the ball up and over the wall but sadly it crashed against the bar (35)! Moments after Ritsu Doan was denied by Vasilj (39), referee Timo Gerach pointed to the spot. After a VAR check, it had been adjudged that Karol Mets had held back Ginter. Grifo, with a very good spot-kick record, took the penalty and went for the right-hand corner. But he couldn’t beat Vasilj, who did really well to first parry and then hold the ball (41). And there was better to come. Shortly before the half-time whistle, our Boys in Brown made it 2-0. Following a long ball from Mets, Eggestein crossed into the middle for Saad. His attempted shot misfired, but the ball ended up with  Oladapo Afolayan, who kept very calm and fired home from ten metres into the left-hand corner (45). After Carlo Boukhalfa had put a header from a corner over the bar, the half-time whistle sounded.

Elias Saad (here in a duel with Eren Dinkçi) was a constant presence in the offence, but like all the Kiezkickers also worked hard defensively.

The head coaches each made one change for the second half: Connor Metcalfe came on for us in place of Carlo Boukhalfa, while for SCF Noah Weißhaupt replaced Eren Dinkçi. The hosts soon had the first chance of the half, when Günter got in a shot following a corner. But he hit it much too high (46).  The picture on the pitch was unchanged after the break, with SCF continuing to have more possession, while our team stayed compact and kept things tight in our own half, battling for every ball. When we did get possession, our boys also pushed forward, but without making any noteworthy chances. Then, Smith again stepped up to take a free-kick. Again from a half-right position, this time however from much further out, and Atubolu safely saved his shot (60).

At the other end Freiburg thought they’d got a goal back through Philipp Lienhart. But after a VAR check that took nearly three minutes, Gerach ruled the goal out. As Grifo’s free-kick had come in from the left, Lienhart had been just offside (63). The hosts then brought on two attacking players, Lukas Höler and Florent Muslija (66). But it was to no avail, as just minutes later our Boys in Brown sealed things. In a fast counter-attack, Saad raced at the SCF defence, went past three opponents and shot from 14 metres – 3-0 (73).

With a little under 15 minutes to go, Blessin brought on Adam Dźwigała and Scott Banks for Manolis Saliakas and Johannes Eggestein (76), and a little later then also Andreas Albers for the outstanding Elias Saad (83). Moments later, Doan reduced the margin, but Lukas Höler, who had passed to him, was just offside. After a VAR check, Gerach ruled out this goal too (86). Nothing more happened, and thus our players were able to celebrate the first win of the season with the 3,000+ FCSP fans who had made the long journey south.

SC Freiburg

Atubolu - Kübler (Muslija 66'), Ginter, Lienhart, Günter - M. Eggestein (Höfler 80'), Osterhage (Höler 66') - Doan, Dinkçi (Weißhaupt 46'), Grifo - Adamu (Gregoritsch 74')

Head coach: Julian Schuster

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Wahl, Smith, Mets - Saliakas (Dźwigała 76'), Irvine, Boukhalfa (Metcalfe 46'), Treu - Afolayan (Sinani 90'), J. Eggestein (Banks 76'), Saad (Albers 83')

Head coach: Alexander Blessin

Golas: 0-1 Saad (12'), 0-2 Afolayan (45'), 0-3 Saad (73')

Referee: Timo Gerach (Landau)

Attendance: 34,700

Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters