FC St. Pauli

Head coach Alexander Blessin was without eight players for the friendly against French powerhouse Olympique Lyon. Old and new captain Jackson Irvine did feature in the starting lineup, however, after recovering from a toe injury. The seven-time French champions had more of the game in the opening stages and fashioned two good chances early on. Six minutes in, right-back Clinton Mata curled a free-kick just over the bar and then striker Gift Orban went close after some quick link-up play down the left, his shot fizzing narrowly past the right-hand angle. The Boys in Brown put together some neat passing moves to break up the Lyon pressure but were unable to threaten in the final third. And the French side almost took the lead on 19 when Vinicius Abner unleashed a shot from the edge of the box and ball smacked back off the inside of the right-hand post.

Five minutes later the Blessin XI created their first decent opportunity after winning possession in the Lyon half. Connor Metcalfe whipped a ball into the box from the left and found Oladapo Afolayan, whose first-time effort was saved by the keeper. After a short drinks break, Scott Banks fired a shot well wide of the target from 20 metres. With the Boys in Brown now looking more solid at the back, the Ligue 1 side rarely found their way into the box but when they did break through in the 29^th minute, Corentin Tolisso saw his shot from ten metres saved by Voll. The Lyon captain tried his luck again from range six minutes later, but his effort cleared the bar by some distance. That was the last attempt of note in the first half, leaving the two sides to go in goalless at the break.

Oladapo Afolayan (here under challenge from Clinton Mata) was very busy in the first half and had the best chance for the Boys in Brown.

Blessin brought on fresh legs for the second half in the shape of Luca Günther, Philipp Treu, Elias Saad and Johannes Eggestein, while Lyon boss Pierre Sage made just one change between the posts. The Boys in Brown started the better and had the first good chance on 52 after Irvine had won possession just outside the Lyon box. Saad laid the ball off to Robert Wagner, who crossed into the middle from the right, but Treu's shot on the turn failed to find the target. Six minutes later Metcalfe hit a long-range free-kick towards goal, but Anthony Lopes got down quickly to make the save. From the resulting corner Metcalfe picked out Karol Mets, whose header flew a good metre past the left-hand upright.

Back at the other end, Lyon won a corner of their own, though Adryelson's header flew well over. After the French side had made four substitutions, the Boys in Brown followed suit, Karol Mets, Jackson Irvine, Connor Metcalfe and Robert Wagner making way for Erik Ahlstrand, Carlo Boukhalfa, Emil Staugaard and Marwin Schmitz. Almost immediately, Boukhalfa had a go from range but placed his shot too high. Ahlstrand was then allowed a bit too much space but failed to make a proper connection with a shot from just outside the box. Though the more dominant side. Blessin XI were unable to carve out any clear-cut chances, though Saad almost grabbed the winner five minutes from time following a fine pass from Boukhalfa, but his shot could only find the side netting.

Saad was probably still ruing the missed opportunity when Under-19 midfielder Schmitz went one better, collecting a throw-in from Treu and gliding past a defender before hitting a no-nonsense effort into the top right corner from distance, a peach of a goal that left Lopes no chance. It was a fitting end to a bold performance from the Boys in Brown, who were worth their win.

"After the first 20 minutes we gradually found the courage to defend forward and stay solid," said head coach Alexander Blessin after the final whistle. "We won lot of balls in the centre, which was important, but we surrendered possession again too often too quickly, which shouldn't be happening. We improved a touch in the second half and overall we can be pleased with 70 minutes, though we have to keep working. We won't make too much of the result, but it does give us a lift and shows the lads that they can beat a top side. Wins always help you get into the players' heads more quickly, and it's not that we didn't deserve it. Lyon did hit the post early on but apart from that swe only had a couple of shots from distance to deal with."

FC St. Pauli

Voll - Dźwigała (Dahaba 82'), Nemeth, Mets (Staugaard 68') - Banks (Günther 46'), Irvine (Boukhalfa 68'), Metcalfe (Ahlstrand 68'), Wagner (Schmitz 68'), Ritzka (Treu 46') - Albers (Eggestein 46'), Afolayan (Saad 46')

Head coach: Alexander Blessin

Olympique Lyon

Perri (Lopes 46') - Mata (Maitland-Niles 61' ), Adryelson, Caleta-Car, Abner - Matić, Caqueret, Tolisso, Baldé (Benrahma 61' ) - Orban (Niakhaté 61' ), Fofana (Molebe 61' )

Head coach: Pierre Sage

Goals: 1-0 Schmitz (87')

Yellow cards: Nemeth

Attendance: 2,500

Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters