FC St. Pauli

After last week's 4-1 defeat at FC Cologne, head coach Markus Kauczinski opted to return to a back four. He also made four changes to his starting eleven, Robin Himmelmann, Daniel Buballa, Mats Møller Dæhli and Ryo Miyaichi coming in for Svend Brodersen, Jan-Philipp Kalla, Justin Hoogma and Jeremy Dudziak.

The two sides dispensed with the customary cautious start and got straight down to business. Sami Allagui almost fired his side ahead with just two minutes on the clock after some great work on the right by Miyaichi. The striker collected the pinpoint cross and turned on a sixpence before rifling a shot just past the angle of bar and post. There was danger at the other end soon after when Christopher Avevor elected to leave an upfield punt for his keeper, only for Emmanuel Iyoha to nip in behind him and unleash a shot that Himmelmann did well to save with his outstretched foot.

Sixty seconds later it was 1-0. Allagui squared the ball across the face of the penalty area to the unmarked Christopher Buchtmann, who side-footed past Männel to give his side the lead. After the excitement of the opening ten minutes the play was disrupted by a number of stoppages. But just short of the half-hour the visitors found themselves level when Jan Hochscheidt headed home on the rebound after his initial header from Iyoha's cross had smacked back off the crossbar. Aue gained in confidence after the equaliser but fashioned just one more opportunity before the break, a low Pascal Testroet drive from the edge of the box that forced a smart save from Himmelmann.

Goalscorer Christopher Buchtmann under challenge from Clemens Fandrich.

The second half began with a bitter blow for the Boys in Brown. Aue broke quickly and after some quick link-up play involving Iyoha and Hochscheidt the latter smashed an unstoppable volley into the far corner from the edge of the box. Markus Kauczinski's charges cranked up the tempo in response and created a number of good chances. Miyaichi only narrowly failed to connect with a ball in from Luca Zander on 51 and just two minutes later Buchtmann was presented with a golden opportunity to level from close range, but this time his effort flashed a metre over the top.

Increasingly pushed back into their own half, Aue elected to wait for a chance to strike on the counter and could count themselves fortunate not to concede the equaliser on several occasions. Sobota went close on 70 with a shot that took a slight deflection and flew just past the post, a long-range attempt from Jan-Marc Schneider missed by a whisker eight minutes later and soon after Alex Meier failed to make a proper contact with a Møller Dæhli cross in the six-yard box. The visitors had an opportunity to put the game to bed three minutes from time, but Testroet's header came back off the frame of the goal. At the other end, Männel produced two good stops to deny Schneider and Florian Carstens in time added on. But it just wasn't to be.

FC St. Pauli

Himmelmann – Zander (Schneider 72'), Carstens, Avevor, Buballa – Buchtmann, Knoll – Miyaichi (Neudecker 80'), Allagui (Sobota 46'), Møller Dæhli – Alex Meier

Head coach: Markus Kauczinski

FC Erzgebirge Aue

Männel – Kusic, Cacutalua, Wydra – Rizzuto, Fandrich, Riese, Herrmann (Baumgart 75') – Hochscheidt (Samson 80') – Iyoha, Testroet (Zulechner 88')

Head coach: Daniel Meyer

Goals: 1-0 Buchtmann (10'), 1-1 Hochscheidt (29'), 1-2 Hochscheidt (49')

Yellow cards: Avevor – Kusic, Cacutalua, Wydra, Zulechner

Referee: Florian Badstübner

Attendance: 29,546 (sold out)

Photos: Witters