FC St. Pauli

Head coach Alexander Blessin made one change from the 2-0 defeat at Leipzig, Elias Saad, who bagged a brace in the 3-0 win at Freiburg in the reverse fixture, beginning on the right wing in place of Carlo Boukhalfa. It was Saad's first start in four-and-a-half months. Freiburg boss Julian Schuster made two adjustments to the team that beat Heidenheim 1-0 at home, Patrick Osterhage and Merlin Röhl coming in for Eren Dinkči and Nicolas Höfler.

The visitors opted for an attacking pressing game early on but the Boys in Brown had the solutions to play their way out of trouble and soon created the first chance six minutes in when David Nemeth picked out Johannes Eggestein with a superb through ball. It was moved on to Elias Saad on the left and he cut inside and arrowed in a shot, only to be denied by Noah Atubolu in the Freiburg goal. Seven minutes later, Ritsu Doan latched onto an upfield ball from Matthias Ginter, but Nikola Vasilj stood tall and blocked the shot with his chest. A lull in the play ensued, with neither side able to penetrate the final third. Another 20 minutes elapsed until the next attempt on goal, a long-range effort from Saad following a free-kick that sailed over the top.

The game eventually burst into life just before the interval. It began with Vincenzo Grifo curling a free-kick just wide of the angle from a central position just outside the box. And then referee Benjamin Brand pointed to the spot for an alleged foul by Jackson Irvine on Doan. Grifo stepped up to take the penalty and, as in the reverse fixture, was denied by Vasilj, who stayed where he was to gather Grifo's attempted panenka with ease. Moments later Nemeth stuck out a leg to clear with Lucas Höler ready to pounce. At the other end, Johannes Eggestein went to ground in the Freiburg penalty area, but the referee correctly waved play on, as Kiliann Sildillia clearly played the ball in making the tackle.

Nikola Vasilj sensed what was coming and stood his ground to save Vincenzo Grifo's penalty.

Both sides resumed unchanged after the interval and the pattern remained the same, with neither side able to make headway. In the 55^th minute, Eggestein and Saad combined to find the advancing Philipp Treu, who cracked one well over from 25 metres. At the other end, the visitors were awarded a free-kick. Grifo took the responsibility again, and this time the ball looked to be curling into the top left corner until Vasilj got across brilliantly to beat it away.

Soon after, Saad burst into the box at pace but placed his shot wide of the target. His shift was over seconds later, Oladapo Afolayan the man to replace him. The visitors then played their way down the middle and Merlin Röhl was given far much time to get a shot away. Fortunately, his 20-metre effort fizzed just over the crossbar. The game ebbed and flowed now with both teams looking to go forward at every opportunity, though chances remained a rarity.

In the closing stages, Lars Ritzka and Scott Banks entered the fray for Siebe Van der Heyden and Noah Weißhaupt, and they were soon to see Irvine rise to meet a corner and head wide of the far post on 85. Two minutes later, Freiburg took the lead. Eren Dinkči shrugged off a number of challenges in the middle and laid the ball off to his left for Christian Günter to go for goal, and his shot took a wicked deflection off Philipp Treu, causing the ball to fly into the top corner. The Boys in Brown went all in for the last few minutes but their efforts were to prove in vain as it ended in the narrowest of defeats.

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Wahl, Smith, Nemeth (Ceesay 90') - Treu, Irvine, Sands, Van der Heyden (Ritzka 82') - Saad (Afolayan 62'), J. Eggestein (Albers 90'), Weißhaupt (Banks 82')

Head coach: Alexander Blessin

SC Freiburg

Atubolu - Sildillia, Ginter, Lienhart, Günter - Osterhage, M. Eggestein - Doan (Rosenfelder 90'+1), Röhl (Dinkči 75'), Grifo (Beste 75') - Höler

Head coach: Julian Schuster

Goals: 0-1 Treu (OG 88.)

Yellow cards: Nemeth, Blessin

Referee: Benjamin Brand (Schwebheim)

Attendance: 29,546 (sold out)

Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters