FC St. Pauli

Head coach Timo Schultz made two changes to the side that won 3-2 at Magdeburg in the DFB Cup last week. Nikola Vasilj returned in place of Dennis Smarsch between the posts, while new acquisition Marcel Hartel went straight into the starting lineup at the expense of Rico Benatelli, who dropped to the bench. Maximilian Dittgen missed the game due to the birth of his second child. Unlike the 1-0 derby win back in March, which took place behind closed doors, a total of 10,003 fans took their places at the Millerntor. And when referee Harm Osmers blew his whistle to start the seventh second division derby, the atmosphere inside the ground was outstanding, even though it was only a third full. Going into the game, there was only one thing on St. Pauli minds, and that was retaining the local bragging rights after three wins and a draw in the last four meetings of the two sides.

It was a high-intensity affair from the off, with all 22 players fighting for every ball. Early bookings for HSV captain Sebastian Schonlau and our left-back Leart Paqarada underlined that intent. The Boys in Brown cranked up the pressure right away and fashioned the first opportunity of the game in the third minute when Marcel Hartel's drive from just inside the box following a free-kick was blocked by Schonlau. The visitors edged the possession for a while but lacked precision in the final third. Danger did threaten in the 14^th minute, however, when Bakery Jatta collected a diagonal ball on the right side of the box. His square pass into the middle went slightly awry, though, and David Kinsombi was unable to do anything with it.

The Boys in Brown scratched and clawed their way back into the proceedings and were soon creating chances at a rate of knots. Hartel fired past the angle from a good 25 metres and then teed up Guido Burgstaller, whose shot from the inside-right channel clipped the bottom of the far post on its way out – so close! The chances kept coming and this time it was Daniel-Kofi Kyereh who laid the ball off for Simon Makienok to shoot, only for Tim Leibold to deflect round the post. The resulting corner was only half-cleared, and when Eric Smith delivered an exquisite cross in behind the HSV defence, Jakov Medić headed inches wide of the far post. Hartel then tried his luck again from distance – once again the ball flew narrowly off target.

A goal was in the air and it came on 27 minutes when Burgstaller drove into the box following a one-two with Kyereh and played the ball into the middle for Finn Ole Becker, completely unmarked, to knock it over the line with his knee. One-nil! "That’s the way, aha aha, we like it,", sang the fans and there was no doubt about it. It remained a high-octane affair, but the next chance was another 15 minutes in coming. Burgstaller pulled the trigger from the edge of the box and Daniel Heuer Fernandes did well to get down to his right and turn it round the post. Moments later, though, it was all square. Kinsombi sent Jatta on his way and he squared it for Sonny Kittel to level from close range. It went to VAR to check whether Jatta had been offside, but the goal stood.

Finn Ole Becker gave the Boys in Brown the lead on 27 and knew who to thank even before the ball had fully crossed the line.

Both sides emerged unchanged for the second period. The visitors came flying out of the traps and carved out the first chance after just 27 seconds, Glatzel heading just over from Leibold's left-wing cross. As in the opening 45, the game was played with the pace and intensity you would expect from a local derby. Simon Makienok had showed an eye for goal in the first meeting of the two sides last season and he was to strike again this term! The striker collected a pass from Becker, drove into the box from the left and, shrugging off the challenge of Ludovit Reis, hammered a low shot into the net with his left foot. Heuer Fernandes stuck out a foot but could not prevent the ball sneaking in at the near post.

And there was more! For within two minutes, Makienok had added a third! Eric Smith won the ball off Glatzel near the halfway line, Medić picked it up, and he found Makienok with a superb defence-splitting pass. The Dane controlled the ball with his left foot and left Heuer Fernandes no chance with another low drive, this time into the bottom-right corner! The Millerntor erupted into a cauldron of noise!

HSV coach Tim Walter responded immediately with the introduction of another striker, Mikkel Kaufmann. Jan Gyamerah pulled the trigger from 25 metres, but the ball flew wide of the right-hand upright. Timo Schultz then made two substitutions of his own, Afeez Aremu and Christopher Buchtmann coming on for Eric Smith and double goalscorer Simon Makienok, who went off to a warm round of applause.

The Millerntor was rocking, of course, but the atmosphere subdued suddenly on 77 minutes when Schonlau dispatched the ball into the middle from a throw-in to Glatzel, who had too much space and pulled the trigger from ten metres. Vasilj got a hand to it but couldn't stop the ball crossing the line.

As was to be expected, our cross-city rivals piled on the pressure in the closing stages, but the Boys in Brown defended their lead with all the means at their disposal. Jatta headed over with two minutes left and owing to a lengthy injury stoppage there was another six minutes of added time to negotiate. But the Schultz XI hung on for the win, and unlike at the beginning of March, were able to celebrate another derby victory with the fans inside the ground!

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Zander (Dźwigała 82'), Ziereis, Medić, Paqarada - Smith (Aremu 64'), Hartel, Becker (Benatelli 90'), Kyereh (Viet 90') - Makienok (Buchtmann 64'), Burgstaller

Head coach: Timo Schultz

HSV

Heuer Fernandes - Gyamerah (Vagnoman 76'), David, Schonlau, Leibold - Kinsombi (Rohr 70'), Meffert, Reis (Suhonen 58') - Jatta, Glatzel, Kittel (Kaufmann 58')

Head coach: Tim Walter

Goals: 1-0 Becker (27'), 1-1 Kittel (43'), 2-1 Makienok (56'), 3-1 Makienok (58'), 3-2 Glatzel (77')

Yellow cards: Paqarada – Schonlau, Kinsombi

Referee: Harm Osmers (Hannover)

Attendance: 10,003

Photos: FC St. Pauli