FC St. Pauli

Both teams set out to win the game to put an end to losing runs. St Pauli have gone six matches without a win and Hannover five games without a victory. This North German clash was to provide a pointer for the remaining games in 2019. Head coach Joss Luhukay made three changes to his team that lost 3-1 at Erzgebirge Aue last week with Philipp Ziereis, Luca Zander and Mats Møller Dæhli returning to the starting line-up. Leo Østigard was rested as a precaution due to a calf problem.

There was a setback for St Pauli early on when they failed to clear a long ball out of the danger zone with Linton Maina running through to escape the attention of his markers. The 20-year-old broke into the box and hit a shot into the net via the upright (7'). The Boys in Brown endeavoured to get forward and create chances but Jan-Philipp Kalla (27') and Victor Gyökeres (30') both lacked the necessary accuracy with their efforts.

There was high excitement at the end of the first half: Referee Robert Hartman withdrew his penalty award after the intervention of VAR when Josip Elez blocked a shot from Gyökeres with his arm (38'). The Luhukay team then upped their game. First, a free kick from Marvin Knoll went just wide of the target (44'), then the Hannover 96 keeper Ron-Robert Zieler just beat Ryo Miyachi to the ball when he was in a promising position (45'). The two sides went into half-time with the score at 1-0 to the visitors.

The game provided few chances after the restart. The team from Lower Saxony were very compact in defence and waited to strike on the break. Luhukay decided to make an attacking substitution by bringing on striker Boris Tashchy to play alongside Henk Veerman. However, St Pauli were unable to find the answer in the opposition penalty area. The Boys in Brown persevered to the end: An effort from Møller Dæehli was easily saved by Zieler (83'), another shot from Knoll flew over the bar (90') as did a header from Veerman (90+1'). That meant the Luhukay team had to settle for a second defeat on the bounce.

FC St. Pauli

Himmelmann – Zander, Ziereis, Lawrence, Kalla (Lankford 83’) – Knoll – Miyaichi, Sobota (Becker 81’), Møller Dæhli, Gyökeres (Tashchy 67’) – Veerman

Head coach: Jos Luhukay

Hannover 96

Zieler – Jung (Korb 46’), Elez, Felipe (Ostrzolek 74’), Albornoz – Anton, Bakalorz – Muslija, Haraguchi, Maina (Hansson 73’)- Weydandt

Head coach: Kenan Kocak

Goals: 0-1 Maina (7’)

Booked: Zander/ Anton, Haraguchi, Albornoz

Referee: Robert Hartmann

Attendance: 29,546 (sold-out)

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Photos: Witters