FC St. Pauli

Head coach Timo Schultz made three changes from the 1-0 defeat at Rostock for the visit of league leaders Werder Bremen. Captain Philipp Ziereis came into central defence for Luca Zander, who had to withdraw on the morning of the game with a sore throat, with Marcel Beifus moving across to right-back from the centre. Jackson Irvine, back from a Covid-enforced break, took the place of Finn Ole Becker on the edge of the midfield diamond, while Etienne Amenyido began up top instead of Simon Makienok, who joined Becker on the bench. For his part, Werder coach Ole Werner was able to welcome back several absentees in Miloš Veljković, Marco Friedl, Mitchell Weiser and Leonardo Bittencourt.

The Millerntor, packed to the rafters for the first time in more than two years, was bouncing well before the kick-off. And there was no let-up in the atmosphere in a high-intensity opening in which the tackles flew in but neither side was able to fashion a meaningful goalscoring opportunity. A Leart Paqarada corner on six minutes presented Daniel-Kofi Kyereh with the first chance of the match, but his first-time volley flew over the crossbar. The Boys in Brown continued to push forward and after some neat passing play in midfield Marcel Hartel pulled the trigger from 25 metres out. Werder keeper Jiri Pavlenka struggled to deal with it, but his hand was firm enough to defuse the effort in such a way that the ball came down on top of the net.

After a brief lull in the action, Werder threatened for the first time from a corner when Niclas Füllkrug headed the ball across the area to Miloš Veljković, whose shot from close range was scrambled clear by the Boys in Brown. That marked the beginning of a period of ascendency for the visitors in which they created further chances. Marvin Ducksch had an opportunity to give his side the lead on 23 after a pass from Füllkrug but didn't catch it right and the ball trundled past the right-hand upright. Soon after the roles were reverse when Ducksch knocked a textbook ball into the path of Füllkrug, who angled a shot beyond Nikola Vasilj but inches past the far post. After that narrow escape, Ducksch teed himself up on the edge of the box but sent his volley over the top and into the North Stand seats.

The Schultz XI did not threaten again until ten minutes before the interval when Paqarada delivered the ball in from the left for the advancing Marcel Beifus, but the cross proved a touch too high. Almost immediately, Werder almost went ahead through Ducksch, his first-time effort from a ball in by Mitchell Weiser finding Vasilj instead of the net. A couple of minutes later the Boys in Brown worked some space for Jackson Irvine to shoot from the edge of the area. It looked goalbound until Marco Friedl threw himself in the way to make a decisive block. There were then loud appeals for a penalty when Weiser appeared to bring down Guido Burgstaller in the box. Referee Florian Badstübner had a good view of it, however, and elected not to point to the spot. Burgstaller may have gone down slightly late but there was a contact and penalties have been awarded for less. That was all immaterial a few minutes later, however, because the Boys in Brown took the lead after a well-worked attack! Afeez Aremu swept the ball out left to Paqarada, who whipped a low cross across the face of the goal for Kyereh to net at the back stick. Burgstaller then dragged a shot wide from a tight angle before the referee blew his whistle for half-time.

Werder boss Ole Werner introduced Ilia Gruev for Nicolai Rapp for the second half, which took a while to get going due to a series of stoppages. It then ebbed and flowed, but without any chances of note for either side until the 58^th minute. Leonardo Bittencourt crossed from the left to the far post, where Romano Schmid headed the ball back to Füllkrug in the middle and he found the net from close range. The referee had another look at it on the touchline but allowed the goal to stand even though Felix Agu had clearly played the low-bouncing ball with his hand in the build-up in a challenge with Beifus. A controversial decision to say the least.

Schultz responded with a double switch, throwing on Finn Ole Becker and Igor Matanović for Afeez Aremu and Etienne Amenyido. The niggling fouls continued, however, preventing any real flow in the game. With the clock ticking down, chances remained at a premium. For the final quarter of an hour Schultz was forced into a third substitution when Marcel Beifus picked up a knock and was replaced by Adam Dźwigała.

In the 77^th minute Jackson Irvine played a high ball into the box, where Guido Burgstaller shrugged off the challenge of substitute Ömer Toprak, only to drag his shot well wide of the target from the inside-right channel. Moments later Burgstaller collected a looping Werder clearance on the edge of the box and fed Matanović, who wasted no time in getting a shot off. His piledriver was headed for the bottom left corner until it was defused by Pavlenka.

In a hectic close in which both sides gave no quarter, Werder ventured forward again, Agu heading wide at the back post from a Schmid cross. And the visitors could have won it 60 seconds later when Ducksch saw a curling effort come back off the crossbar and Ilia Gruev fired just wide from 12 metres in the follow-up. Füllkrug then directed a header past the right-hand upright before the Boys in Brown had their own opportunity to win it on the break, only for Matanović to screw his effort wide of the post. It was to prove the last of the action and a pulsating top-of-the-table clash ended 1-1.

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Beifus (Dźwigała 73'), Ziereis, Medić, Paqarada - Aremu (Becker 64'), Irvine, Hartel, Kyereh - Amenyido (Matanović 64'), Burgstaller (Makienok 88')

Head coach: Timo Schultz

SV Werder Bremen

Pavlenka - Veljković, Gross, Friedl - Weiser (Schmidt 57'), Rapp (Gruev 46'), Bittencourt (Toprak 76'), Agu - Schmid - Füllkrug, Ducksch

Head coach: Ole Werner

Goals: 1-0 Kyereh (43'), 1-1 Füllkrug (58')

Yellow cards: Ziereis – Rapp

Referee: Florian Badstübner (Windsbach)

Attendance: 29,546 (sold out)

Photos: Witters/FC St. Pauli