FC St. Pauli

Head coach Timo Schultz made three changes from the 1-1 draw against Werder Bremen for the trip to Sandhausen. Adam Dźwigała came in for Marcel Beifus at right-back, while Rico Benatelli slotted into defensive midfield in place of Afeez Aremu. Etienne Amenyido dropped back into the No10 position for the ailing Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, with Simon Makienok partnering Guido Burgstaller up front.

Sandhausen fashioned a few half-chances early on, the first from a free-kick in midfield after five minutes. Centre-back Aleksandr Zhirov made his way forward but was unable to control his shot and the ball flew beyond the onrushing Nikola Vasilj and out for a goal-kick. Soon after, Cebio Soukou screwed a shot off target under pressure from a crowd of defenders in the box.

The Schultz XI gradually began to pick one or two holes in the otherwise compact Sandhausen rearguard, without creating any chances of note. Not until the 21^st minute did Marcel Hartel conjure up the first meaningful attempt on goal following a corner, only to see it end up in Row Z. Five minutes later, the same player had another go from just outside the box. His shot took a slight deflection off Etienne Amenyido and proved no problem for keeper Patrick Drewes.

With Sandhausen continuing to close the space down in their own half to great effect, the Boys in Brown were unable to capitalise on their much greater share of the possession. Then, a foray down the left on the half-hour saw the ball fall to Adam Dźwigała just outside the box. His shot deflected off Nils Seufert, however, and looped into the arms of a grateful Drewes. At the other end, another deflected attempt from Jannik Bachmann flew to the unmarked Soukou, whose close-range effort was blocked by Vasilj. Two minutes later, Simon Makienok collected a cross from Leart Paqarada and directed his shot only narrowly wide of the upright.

That had been the best chance of the game to that point, and when the Boys in Brown pushed forward again, Guido Burgstaller went to ground under a challenge from Dario Dumić in the box. Referee Dr Felix Brych initially waved play on, but after an intervention from the VAR had another look at it and eventually pointed to the spot. Burgstaller stepped up and dinked a low effort towards the centre of the goal that Drewes got a foot to but was unable to prevent it crossing the line for the opener. That was the last of the action and the Schultz XI went in a goal to the good at the break.

The situation that led to the penalty. Dari Dumić (left next to Etienne Amenyido) brings down Guido Burgstaller (right).

Both sides emerged unchanged for the second half, with the Boys in Brown carving out a huge chance to double their advantage just 170 seconds in when Hartel won possession close to the Sandhausen box. The ball came to Burgstaller, who knocked a textbook pass into the path of Hartel, whose shot from 10 metres was brilliantly turned round the post by Drewes with his outstretched left foot. A decisive moment in the game!

The tempo in the second period was much higher than in the first initially and the Schultz XI continued to dominate the possession, looking more of a threat as a result of winning the ball earlier. Sandhausen also stepped up their attacking efforts but were unable to unlock the all-brown rearguard. Pascal Testroet did find the space to get a shot off in the 62^nd minute, but his left-foot effort from 18 metres lacked both power and precision. It remained a hard-fought contest with neither side shirking a tackle. Sandhausen were by now the busier side but continued draw a blank against the solid St. Pauli defence. At the other end, some sloppy play from the Boys in Brown around the midway point of the second half saw their chances dry up.

With the game entering the closing stages, Schultz opted to make his first two substitutions, introducing Afeez Aremu and Maximilian Dittgen for Rico Benatelli and Simon Makienok. The next chance fell to Sandhausen, however. Bashkim Ajdini cut inside from the right and pulled the trigger from 20 metres out. The ball skimmed off Jackson Irvine and flew a metre past the left-hand upright.

The pattern of the game remained much the same, with the Boys in Brown proving wasteful in possession. Sandhausen were much tidier in their approach play and consequently carried the greater threat. Nevertheless, the Schultz XI were giving absolutely nothing away at the back.

Sandhausen coach Alois Schwartz responded by making two attacking changes in the closing minutes, while Schultz threw on a defender for a forward in Lars Ritzka for Etienne Amenyido. It looked for all the world as if his side were going to hang on for three crucial points in the promotion race, but the home side had other ideas and stunned the Boys in Brown with a stoppage-time equaliser. Dumić headed a corner back across goal to the unmarked Jannik Bachmann, who found the net from four metres out to leave the visitors shell-shocked.

SV Sandhausen

Drewes - Ajdini (Kinsombi 84'), Dumić, Zhirov, Okoroji - Zenga, Trybull (Kutucu 84'), Soukou (Esswein 90'+1), Bachmann, Seufert - Testroet

Head coach: Alois Schwartz

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Dźwigała, Ziereis, Medić, Paqarada - Benatelli (Aremu 72'), Irvine, Hartel, Amenyido (Ritzka 84') - Burgstaller, Makienok (Dittgen 72')

Head coach: Timo Schultz

Goals: 0-1 Burgstaller (pen. 39'), 1-1 Bachmann (90'+1)

Yellow cards: Seufert

Referee: Dr Felix Brych (Munich)

Attendance: 7,094

Photos: Witters