FC St. Pauli

Head coach Alexander Blessin intended to make one change – Elias Saad for Noah Weißhaupt – to the side that drew 1-1 at Werder Bremen, but  Saad picked up an injury during the warm-up and so Weißhaupt started. Stuttgart’s starting lineup featured three adjustments from the 1-0 home defeat against Heidenheim, Pascal Stenzel, Jamie Leweling and Nick Woltemade coming in for the injured Leonidas Stergiou plus Fabian Rieder and Ermedin Demirović, who both began on the bench. With Heidenheim being held to a scoreless draw by VfL Bochum the previous evening, the Boys in Brown went into the game knowing a win would secure their Bundesliga status for another season.

Blessin’s charges fashioned the first big chance with just 35 seconds on the clock when Danel Sinani threaded the ball through for Weißhaupt on the break and his toe-poke from eight metres was saved by Stuttgart keeper Alexander Nübel. Almost immediately, the unmarked Pascal Stenzel was allowed to shoot from the edge of the box at the other end, but Philipp Treu dived in to make the block. Two minutes later, fans and teammates alike were celebrating Treu as if he had just stuck the ball in the net when Chris Führich bore down on goal and pulled the trigger from just inside the box, but the No23 slid in to make a fantastic last-ditch block.

Still within the first ten minutes, Fin Jeltsch was unable to clear his lines following a long ball forward, allowing Sinani to have a pop from 25 metres. He struck it beautifully, but the ball dipped and curled a whisker past the angle of crossbar and post. Stuttgart’s response was not long in coming when Jamie Leweling won the ball on the right and teed up Deniz Undav, who found himself in too much space in the middle. Fortunately, Hauke Wahl was able to block the shot in the nick of time. Moments later, Woltemade headed a Maximilian Mittelstädt free-kick two metres over the bar.

After the bright start by both sides it remained a high-intensity affair. In the 18^th minute the visitors broke quickly when Weißhaupt lost possession and Woltemade and Undav played a one-two into the penalty box, where the former set his sights on the bottom left corner, but Nikola Vasilj responded brilliantly to keep it at 0-0. Three minutes later, Morgan Guilavogui was first denied a shooting opportunity by Jeff Chabot and then threw himself in the way of a Mittelstädt effort at the other end. Next, Vasilj had no problems dealing with a long-range effort from Führich, who then did manage to get the ball past Vasilj from a tight angle but couldn’t find the net. The tackles continued to fly in and if anything the intensity increased. In the two penalty areas it was much more sedate, however, and it ended goalless at the half.

Noah Weißhaupt was denied by Alexander Nübel with just 35 seconds on the clock.

Both teams emerged unchanged for the second period and the visitors carved out the first chance a couple of minutes in when Woltemade shrugged off a challenge outside the area to send Undav on his way and the Germany international fired just wide of the right-hand post. As in the first half, Stuttgart enjoyed more of the possession but the Boys in Brown offered fierce resistance and continued to play some decent football. With neither side prepared to give an inch, there was still plenty of fire in the direct duels and it wasn’t always fair.

Blessin’s men registered their first chance in the 54^th minute following a free-kick. Stuttgart were unable to clear the danger and the ball fell to Sinani, who met it first time but was unable to keep his effort on target. Five minutes later there was uproar at the other end when the visitors combined their way brilliantly into the penalty box and Woltemade’s goalbound effort struck Siebe Van der Heyden on the arm as he attempted to get a block in. Referee Florian Exner had another look at the situation in the review area before announcing his decision to the crowd – a penalty for handball and a second yellow for Van der Heyden. Woltemade took the spot-kick himself and was denied by Vasilj, who then kept out the rebound effort from Atakan Karazor to send the Millerntor into raptures.

For all the excitement at the penalty save, the Boys in Brown were left with over half an hour to fend off a free-flowing Stuttgart side a player short – a challenge at the best of times. Blessin responded by introducing Oladapo Afolayan for Noah Weißhaupt. The visitors had the next big chance through Führich following a pass from Undav. He had all the time in the world to pick his spot and went for the bottom left corner, but Vasilj got down quickly to his right to turn the ball round the post for a corner. It was all Stuttgart now, which was hardly a surprise in the circumstances, but the Boys in Brown continued to defend with passion and every defensive action drew the plaudits of the home crowd.

In the closing stages Robert Wagner came on for Carlo Boukhalfa, who had run himself into the ground. Moments later a ripple of excitement went round the ground when the Boys in Brown burst forward via Guilavogui, who found Sinani in the box. The Luxembourg midfielder tried to wriggle his way through traffic but was crowded out by Karazor when a quicker finish would have been the better option. At the other end, Vasilj clawed away a Woltemade header that was directed towards the bottom left corner and then defused a shot from Mittelstädt – there was simply no way past him at this stage.

Yet then, three minutes before the end of regulation time, he was finally beaten. Stuttgart set up camp in the penalty box and Woltemade eventually found the bottom left corner from eight metres. This time there was nothing Vasilj could do. The Boys in Brown threw everyone forward one last time but were unable to ward off the defeat. Vasilj pulled off another save to deny substitute Ermedin Demirović in the fourth minute of time added on but then protested too vehemently to the referee when the visitors took their time taking the corner and was dismissed for two bookable offences in quick succession. And though the heads went down after the final whistle, the players received a warm round of applause from the fans after a performance full of passion.

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Nemeth, Wahl, Van der Heyden - Saliakas, Boukhalfa (Wagner 78’), Smith, Treu - Sinani (Voll 90’+6) - Guilavogui, Weißhaupt (Afolayan 63’)

Head coach: Alexander Blessin

VfB Stuttgart

Nübel - Stenzel (Vagnoman 65’), Jeltsch, Chabot (Jaquez 65’), Mittelstädt (Hendriks 90’+1) - Karazor, Stiller - Leweling (Demirović 73’), Woltemade, Führich (Bruun Larsen 73’) - Undav

Head coach: Sebastian Hoeneß

Goals: 0-1 Woltemade (87’)

Yellow cards: Boukhalfa – Chabot, Stiller, Undav

Red cards (two yellows): Van der Heyden (foul 38’ and handball 57’), Vasilj (unsportsmanlike behaviour 90’+5)

Referee: Florian Exner (Münster)

Attendance: 29,546 (sold out)

Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters