FC St. Pauli

Head coach Alexander Blessin had Eric Smith at his disposal again for the matchup with the Ligue 1 outfit, who had beaten Feyenoord 2-1 earlier in the afternoon. The Swede had missed out against KSC due to a stomach problem.

It was a high-intensity affair from the off, though neither side carried enough of an attacking threat early on to gain an edge. The first chance of the game arrived on the quarter-hour when a superb pass by youngster Nick Schmidt sent Andréas Hountondji on his way, but his shot was too centrally placed, allowing OGC keeper Maxime Dupé to save with his foot. Then, following a corner four minutes later, Hountondji headed a Louis Oppie cross wide of the left-hand post. Shortly after that, Oladapo Afolayan collected a pass from Schmidt and fired narrowly off target.

The Boys in Brown were dominant now and went on to create more chances. Lars Ritzka played Oppie in down the left and he cut the ball back to Schmidt. The 17-year-old set his sights on the top right corner, but OGC defender Amidou Doumbouya got in the way to defuse the effort with his head. A goal was long overdue by now and Hountondji had an excellent chance after a fine ball in behind by Adam Dźwigała, only to aim too high.

With half an hour gone Nice almost took a surprise lead when Evann Guessand was left completely unmarked and shot just wide from 12 metres. Back at the other end, Pyrka found some space but sent his effort well over from 20 metres. Nick Schmidt made way for Joel Chima Fujita on 34 and soon after Afolayan knocked a pass in behind the Nice defence for Hountondji, but the striker placed his shot a whisker past the right-hand post with just Dupé to beat. The OGC keeper was then called on again to keep out a shot from Oppie and a header by James Sands before the whistle went for half-time.

Andréas Hountondji (here under challenge from Amidou Doumbouya) had three opportunities in the first half.

Blessin made four changes for the second half. Nice applied some pressure early on without ever threatening, and the first chances again fell to the Boys in Brown. A long ball forward on 51 found Hountondji in the box, but Ali Abdi got a late block in. Soon after, Dupé made a comfortable save when Fujita unloaded from distance. Blessin made another six changes on the hour and then Pereira Lage was fouled in the box attempting a shot on the turn, but instead of a penalty the referee awarded a free-kick just outside the area. Scott Banks took it but his shot flew a good metre past the angle.

The Boys in Brown kept things tight at the back and operated a high press, which saw them regain the ascendency against a Nice team that had little to offer in attack.  A misunderstanding at the back almost let them in on 68, however. Gabin Bernardeau had only Ben Voll to beat, but the keeper produced a brilliant reaction save to keep it at 0-0. At the other end Abdoulie Ceesay arrived a moment too late at the near post to meet a corner that was taken short and then twice went close after being teed up by Erik Ahlstrand on both occasions.

Finally, with six minutes left to go, the deadlock was broken when Djibril Coulibaly attempted to head a Pereira Lage cross clear, but the ball came back off the head of Banks and flew into the net. As fortunate as the goal may have been, it was very much deserved. Banks almost doubled the advantage a minute later, but Dupé was alert to the danger. The icing on the cake was provided by Fin Stevens on 89. Marwin Schmitz won possession and gave the ball to Ceesay, whose cutback was swept home by Stevens to make it 2-0.

Alexander Blessin: "We were very dominant. We had some decent moments in possession and our gegenpressing was outstanding. We had lots of clear goalscoring opportunities, including seven in the first half alone. In the end we should have won by more. We complicated things in the final third here and there and had a few problems getting people into the box."

OGC Nice

Dupé – Pereira (Alabi, 45’), Monteiro, Doumbouya – Koutoune (Bouard 80’), Coulibaly, Louchet, Abdi (Youssouf 68’) – Bernardeau (Brahimi 80’) – JBoga (Telusson 80’), Guessand (Nguene 80’)

Head coach: Franck Haise

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj (Voll 62') - Dźwigała (Robatsch 62'), Smith (Wahl 46'), Ritzka (Nemeth 46') - Pyrka (Stevens 62'), Sands (Schmitz 62'), Schmidt (Fujita 34'), Oppie (Ahlstrand 62') - Metcalfe (Pereira Lage 46'), Hountondji (Ceesay 62'), Afolayan (Banks 46')

Head coach: Alexander Blessin

Goals: 0-1 Banks (84'), 0-2 Stevens (89')

Yellow cards: None

Referee: Philip Gadler (Klagenfurt)

Attendance: approx. 800

Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters