FC St. Pauli

Head coach Markus Kauczinski made a number of changes to the side that lost 3-1 at Aue last time out. The fit-again Christopher Avevor returned to central defence in place of Florian Carstens, while Cenk Sahin got the nod over Richard Neudecker on the left of attacking midfield. Daniel Buballa began at left-back, with Jeremy Dudziak taking over from Yiyoung Park at right-back. Ingolstadt boss Stefan Leitl responded to the 6-0 thrashing at VfL Bochum by making three changes of his own, Paulo Otavio, Tobias Schröck and Dario Lezcano coming in for Lucas Galvão, Marcel Gaus and Osayamen Osawe.

Consensus as far as the number of changes was concerned, and consensus with regard to the expectations going into the game – both coaches looked to strengthen their defences after the recent poor results in a bid to secure all three points. After four minutes and 20 seconds of silence from the both sets of fans out of respect for an Ingolstadt supporter who recently passed away, followed by three more minutes of the two sides feeling each other out, Kauczinski's charges fashioned the first chance of the game. Marvin Knoll dispatched a low corner to the edge of the penalty box where Christopher Buchtmann had run into space – a set piece rehearsed in training. Buchtmann hit the ball first time but mistimed his effort and the ball flew well off target.

Five minutes later the Boys in Brown had another opportunity from a set piece. Knoll arrowed a free-kick into the area that was half-cleared by the home defence, allowing Henk Veerman to volley it back towards goal, only for Marvin Matip to get in the way. Ingolstadt created their first chance on 22 minutes when Sonny Kittel's free-kick from the left was headed back out by Veerman to Thomas Pledl, who fired into the side netting from 20 metres. Leitl's team continued to press. Tobias Schröck rose to meet a corner and nodded the ball back into the danger area, but the FCSP defence were able to clear their lines.

In the ensuing period both penalty areas remained largely deserted, however. Neither side had a chance worthy of note, but that changed in the 41^st minute when the Boys in Brown almost took the lead. Mats Møller Dæhli knocked a delightful pass into the path of the onrushing Jeremy Dudziak by the right corner of the box. The full-back curved a low shot towards the bottom left and the ball skimmed a whisker past the upright. At the other end, Matip directed a header two metres over the crossbar. Referee Patrick Alt blew his whistle for half-time moments later.

Both teams emerged unchanged for the second period. The first half-chance fell to the home side four minutes in when Paulo Otavio pinged a shot – or maybe it was a cross – towards goal from the left corner of the box, but it was always rising, and Robin Himmelmann did not have to intervene. At the other end, Møller Dæhli swept the ball out left to Buchtmann, whose powerfully driven cross picked out Christopher Avevor in a thicket of players, but he was unable to steer it towards goal.

The Boys in Brown began to edge the proceedings and worked another chance on 56. Møller Dæhli laid the ball off Knoll, who teed it up before launching a shot towards goal from just outside the area. It took a slight deflection, however, ensuring it zipped past the far post. Ingolstadt hit back almost immediately. Otavio forced his way down the left and picked out the advancing Pledl with a cross. His header from eight metres flew just over the crossbar. Then, midway through the second half, substitute Osayamen Osawe skipped past Dudziak and raced towards Himmelmann but overrun the ball slightly, and the keeper was able to tidy up.

Kauczinski then made two changes in as many minutes, introducing Ryo Miyaichi for Sahin and Ersin Zehir for Johannes Flum. In the closing stages the Boys in Brown suddenly found themselves a man to the good when Konstantin Kerschbaumer, who had already been cautioned, went over the top on Philipp Ziereis and was rightly shown a second yellow followed by a red.

Down to ten, the home side adopted a much more defensive approach, which gifted possession to the Boys in Brown and eventually saw them take the lead. And it was the two substitutes who combined to produce the goal. Zehir sent a long ball forward for Miyaichi to chase and the Japan midfielder, who has such bad luck with injuries, headed the bouncing ball over a hesitant Marco Knaller into the net. Buoyed by the lead, Kauczinski's side saw out the final minutes without a scare to end a negative run of four defeats on the bounce.

FC Ingolstadt 04

Knaller – Ananou, Matip, Gimber, Paulo Otavio – Schröck, Kittel, Kerschbaumer – Pledl (Benschop 75'), Lezcano (Krausse 79'), Röcher (Osawe 65')

Head coach: Stefan Leitl

FC St. Pauli

Himmelmann – Dudziak, Ziereis, Avevor, Buballa – Flum (Zehir 72'), Knoll – Møller Dæhli, Buchtmann (Carstens 90'+3), Sahin (Miyaichi 70') – Veerman

Head coach: Markus Kauczinski

Goal: 0-1 Miyaichi (82')

Yellow cards: Kerschbaumer, Röcher, Lezcano

Red card (second yellow): Kerschbaumer (77')

Referee: Patrick Alt

Attendance: 10,261

Photos: Witters