FC St. Pauli

Having said in advance that he would give all his players a runout at Kiel, head coach Timo Schultz made seven changes to the team that began the derby, Dennis Smarsch, Luca Zander, Philipp Ziereis, Lars Ritzka, Rico Benatelli, Lukas Daschner and Simon Makienok all coming into the starting lineup. Among the absentees were goalkeeper Sören Ahlers (self-isolating at home after testing positive for Covid-19), Afeez Aremu (recovering from a muscle injury), Jackson Irvine (international duty for Australia in World Cup qualifying), Marcel Hartel (slight cold) and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (thigh strain).

The Boys in Brown made a bright start and almost went ahead in the fifth minute when Lukas Daschner fizzed a shot just wide of the near post from the inside-right channel. Four minutes later, however, the home side went one better, Fabian Reese curling a ball into the box that evaded friend and foe alike before sneaking in at the far post for an early lead. Undaunted, the Schultz XI kept pushing forward and on the quarter-hour Etienne Amenyido volleyed a half-cleared corner a whisker over the Kiel crossbar from 18 metres.

Kiel stepped up gear and Smarsch had to race out of his goal to gather with Arp about to pounce. Sixty seconds later the keeper was able to keep out a close-range effort but was then powerless to stop Julian Korb slotting home the rebound to double the home side's advantage. Soon after, Smarsch produced a diving save to turn a Steven Skrzybski effort round the post for a corner. Though the Schultz XI continued to probe, they were unable to create any meaningful opportunities, unlike the hosts, who passed their way into a dangerous position in the box three minutes before the interval. A Mees shot took a slight deflection and landed at the feet of Korb, who was left with the simple task of sliding home. He had strayed just offside, however, and so the two sides went in at the break with the Boys in Brown 2-0 down.

Timo Schultz made a string of changes for the second half and also switched to a back three. Nikola Vasilj, Sebastian Ohlsson, Adam Dźwigała, Marcel Beifus, James Lawrence and Maximilian Dittgen were all given some playing time, and the latter got on the scoresheet almost immediately when Lars Ritzka got to the byeline and whipped a low ball into the middle, where Dittgen slid home to halve the deficit.

Just a few minutes later Dittgen was in the spotlight again, curling home a magnificent effort from the edge of the box to level the scores. The joy proved short-lived, however, as Marcel Benger restored the home side's advantage within a minute. It continued to ebb and flow and the Boys in Brown were soon level. Finn Ole Becker delivered an exquisite free-kick, awarded for a foul on Dittgen, into the mixer and Simon Makienok rose to head the equaliser.

The Schultz XI enjoyed a stroke of luck in the 66^th minute when substitute Benedikt Pichler popped up unmarked in front of Vasilj and fired the ball just over from close range. Twenty minutes from the end Niklas Jessen, Igor Matanovic and Franz Roggow entered the fray, followed by Leart Paqarada ten minutes from time. Both sides continued to push forward but there was to be no further scoring and it ended all square at 3-3.

Holstein Kiel

Gelios - Korb, Komenda (Koulis 64'), Erras, Carrera - Benger, Holtby (Sander 77') - Reese (Porath 46'), Skrzybski (Pichler 64'), Mees - Arp

Head coach: Marcel Rapp

FC St. Pauli

Smarsch (Vasilj 46') - Zander (Ohlsson 46'), Ziereis (Dźwigała 46'), Medić (Beifus 46'), Ritzka - Benatelli (Paqarada 80'), Becker (Roggow 71'), Amenyido (Lawrence 46'), Daschner (Jessen 71') - Makienok (Matanović 71'), Burgstaller (Dittgen 46')

Head coach: Timo Schultz

Goals: 1-0 Reese (9'), 2-0 Korb (23'), 2-1 Dittgen (48'), 2-2 Dittgen (53'), 3-2 Benger (54'), 3-3 Makienok (60')

Referee: Patrick Schwengers

Photos: FC St. Pauli