FC St. Pauli

A trip to TSG Hoffenheim ended a busy week for the Boys in Brown consisting of three matches in seven days. Head coach Alexander Blessin made just one change from the 4-2 DFB Cup defeat at Leipzig, Carlo Boukhalfa getting the nod over Robert Wagner. For Hoffenheim, fresh from a 2-1 win against second-division FC Nürnberg in the cup, Pellegrino Matarazzo made not one but six adjustments, among them Andrej Kramarić up front for Haris Tabaković.

The home side had the first opportunity in the opening minute, but Marius Bülter produced an air shot when attempting to meet a low ball in from Valentin Gendrey. Hoffenheim remained the busier side, yet they were unable to create any further chances of note for the time being thanks to some solid defending from the Boys in Brown. Up front it was a different story, however, where the Blessin XI lacked ideas and a cutting edge.

In the 14^th minute Hoffenheim probed again. Florian Grillitsch delivered a cross to Adam Hložek, whose header fortunately posed no problem for Nikola Vasilj between the sticks. At the other end, the first decent attack from the Blessin XI six minutes later produced a goal. Eric Smith slipped a pass to Jackson Irvine, who evaded the challenge of two Hoffenheim defenders on the right before cutting the ball back for Oladapo Afolayan to net with a first-time effort into the near corner.

Hoffenheim almost hit back immediately when Anton Stach was left completely unmarked from a free-kick, His shot was too centrally placed, however, allowing Vasilj to make the save. Back at the other end Afolayan appealed for a penalty after an aerial duel with Gendrey, but referee Sascha Stegemann correctly waved play on. The home side continued to struggle against a tight St. Pauli rearguard despite edging the possession and when they lost the ball just outside their own area Manolis Saliakas unloaded from range, only for Alexander Prass to get a late block in. Hoffenheim next threatened two minutes before the break when Kramarić had a shot deflected clear before Bülter was denied by Vasilj from a narrow angle, leaving the clinically efficient Boys in Brown to go in a goal to the good at the break.

Goalscorer Oladapo Afolayan in an aerial duel with Hoffenheim's Valentin Gendrey.

Haris Tabaković came on for Adam Hložek after the break, while Alexander Blessin went with the same 11 players. Vasilj was called into action immediately to deal with a first-time effort from Bülter, and then the Boys in Brown produced a fine passing move down Afolayan's right-hand side. His square pass to the unmarked Morgan Guilavogui in the middle lacked a bit of pace, but the striker held off the challenge of three defenders to get a shot off, only to see the ball come back off the post. Back at the other end, Vasilj kept out an effort from Grillitsch before Philipp Treu, who was carrying a knock, was replaced by Lars Ritzka.

The game ebbed and flowed and Tabaković almost got on the end of a low ball in on 53 and then sent in a header that Vasilj saved comfortably a minute later. Guilavogui posed a greater threat at the other end after some good work from Johannes Eggestein, but Baumann was equal to his shot from the left channel. Hoffenheim continued to see more of the ball and yet it was the Boys in Brown who carved out the next opportunity after 62 minutes when the advancing Ritzka was allowed too much space to fire off a shot from 25 metres that fizzed just wide of the target. Afolayan then got away after latching onto to an Eggestein flick-on but ended up being caught by a defender. He stepped inside and knocked the ball across to Guilavogui, but the pass was undercooked and Hoffenheim got it clear – an opportunity missed.

It remained a high-tempo affair in which Hoffenheim attempted to increase the pressure, but with the Boys in Brown rock solid at the back they were unable to find a way though. With the game entering the final quarter of an hour the home side tried their luck down the left. The ball was half cleared but it fell to Bischof, who pulled the trigger from just outside the area, forcing Vasilj to dive low to his right to prevent an equaliser. Robert Wagner came on for Oladapo Afolayan in the closing stages in which the Blessin XI defended with everything they had in a bid to claim their second victory of the season. Hoffenheim threw everyone forward – to no avail. Pavel Kadeřábek screwed a shot wide in time added on and it was left to another late St. Pauli substitute, Andreas Albers, to settle it on the counter, sliding a shot home after collecting the ball from Irvine. That was that and the Boys in Brown were left to celebrate an important win with the 3,000 or so travelling fans.

TSG Hoffenheim

Baumann - Arthur Chaves (Kadeřábek 85'), Stach, Nsoki - Gendrey (Bruun Larsen 85'), Grillitsch, Bischof, Prass (Jurásek 65') - Kramarić - Hložek (Tabaković 46'), Bülter (Berisha 65')

Head coach: Pellegrino Matarazzo

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Wahl, Smith, Mets - Saliakas (Dźwigała 88'), Irvine, Boukhalfa, Treu (Ritzka 50') - Afolayan (Wagner 80'), Eggestein (Albers 88'), Guilavogui

Head coach: Alexander Blessin

Goals: 0-1 Afolayan (20'), 0-2 Albers (90'+3)

Yellow cards: Guilavogui, Blessin

Referee: Sascha Stegemann (Niederkassel)

Attendance: 26,199

Photos: FC St. Pauli / Witters