FC St. Pauli

Head coach Timo Schultz made four changes to his side for the trip to Ingolstadt. Luca Zander, Eric Smith, Finn Ole Becker and Igor Matanovic made way for Philipp Ziereis, Afeez Aremu, Jackson Irvine and Simon Makienok.

The Boys in Brown laid down the first marker in the seventh minute when Marcel Hartel and Jackson Irvine unleashed shots on goal from range at the end of a flowing passing move. Hartel's initial effort was blocked, however, and then Irvine hit the rebound over the crossbar.

It took a while for the Schultz XI to threaten again. But then, following a foul on Guido Burgstaller in the 22^nd minute, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh stepped up to take the free-kick in the inside-left channel and curled an exquisite effort into the top corner to give his side the lead. A wonderful strike past former St. Pauli keeper Dejan Stojanović.

Ingolstadt almost replied in kind with a free-kick of their own nine minutes later following a foul by Ziereis. Florian Pick took aim and missed the target by a whisker. The home side were level three minutes after that, however. A long throw-in found its way to Eckert Ayensa, who quickly pulled the trigger and fired beyond Nikola Vasilj for the equaliser.

The Boys in Brown had largely controlled things to that point and their response was not long in coming. Marcel Hartel played a one-two with Kyereh and threaded a pass through to Burgstaller, who wrongfooted a defender in collecting the ball and angled a low drive past the keeper into the far corner to restore his team's advantage. It was to prove the last action of note before the break.

Timo Schultz made one change for the second period, throwing on Luca Zander for Ziereis and moving Adam Dźwigała into central defence. Ingolstadt came back out unchanged but with plenty of momentum, forcing Jakov Medić to make a last-ditch clearance three minutes in. The resulting corner came to nothing.

After withstanding the early onslaught, the Boys in Brown struck in clinical fashion on 55 minutes. Hartel sent Leart Paqarada on his way and his first-time cross from the byeline was met by a bullet header from the advancing Simon Makienok. Three-one.

The Danish striker almost doubled his tally four minutes later. Irvine found Burgstaller, who had time and space to deliver the ball into the middle, where Makienok was left completely unmarked. His header came back off the post, however. Had it gone in, it would almost certainly have been all over with 25 minutes still left to play.

As it was, the home side remained a threat and when a Vasilj clearance was blocked, the ball fell to Patrick Schmidt. The Ingolstadt forward rushed his effort, however, and the shot proved no problem for the keeper. In the ensuing period, the Boys in Brown were able to seize control of the proceedings and gave little away apart from one or to moderately dangerous situations in time added on to ensure the three points went back to Hamburg.

FC Ingolstadt 04

Stojanovic – Heinloth (Neuberger 19' [Stevanovic 32'), Antonitsch (Kutschke 83'), Musliu, Frank – Pick (Gaus 83'), Sarpei, Röhl, Bilbija – Schmdit, Ayensa (Sulejmani 83')

Head coach: Rüdiger Rehm

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj – Dźwigała, Ziereis (Zander 46'), Medic, Paqarada (Ritzka 90'+1) – Aremu, Irvine, Hartel (Becker 64'), Kyereh (Beifus 90'+1) – Makienok, Burgstaller (Dittgen 84')

Head coach: Timo Schultz

Goals: 0-1 Kyereh (22'), 1-1 Ayensa (34'), 1-2 Burgstaller (37'), 1-3 Makienok (55')

Yellow cards: Schmidt – Hartel, Aremu

Referee: Robin Braun

Attendance: 5,511

Photos: Witters