FC St. Pauli

Head coach  Alexander Blessin was forced to make one change to the side that won 3-0 at SC Freiburg last week, Robert Wagner beginning in central midfield for the ailing Carlo Boukhalfa. Connor Metcalfe also failed a late fitness test and was replaced in the matchday squad by fit-again Morgan Guilavogui. Mainz coach Bo Henriksen went with three adjustments to his team after the 2-0 defeat against Heidenheim. Maxim Leitsch slotted into the backline in place of the suspended Andreas Hanche-Olsen, while Nadiem Amiri and Armindo Sieb began for Hyunseok Hong and Silvan Widmer.

"It's going to be a very combative game. We'll have to go to the limit again and put in a top performance if we want to take all three points," said Blessin before the game, which did not begin well for his charges. A Mainz corner was initially cleared, only for it to be returned to the box by left-back Philipp Mwene for Jonathan Burkardt to sneak in unchallenged and head the ball over the onrushing Nikola Vasilj into the net with just five minutes on the clock.

The Boys in Brown needed another five minutes to find their feet and register their first half-chance of the game with a shot from the edge of the area by Manolis Saliakas. Not long after, Jackson Irvine pulled the trigger from around 25 metres and the ball fizzed just past the upright. But four minutes later, the home side were caught cold again when a wayward pass in midfield ushered in a quickfire counterattack by the visitors that saw Nadiem Amiri send Armindo Sieb clear and he drilled a low right-foot shot past Vasilj to double the visitors' lead.

With 23 minutes gone, Johannes Eggestein had his side's best chance of the game to that point. The striker brought a high ball into the box under control before hitting a shot on the turn that Robin Zentner did well to save. Soon after, Irvine burst into the box and fired over from a promising position. Another effort from Oladapo Afolayan was then defused by Zentner. It was one-way traffic now, and on the half-hour Eggestein crossed the ball into the middle to Afolayan, who aimed too high. Two minutes later, Saliakas was denied by Zentner. The pace dropped a little in the ensuing period until just before half-time, when the Boys in Brown pushed hard again, unleashing several attempts on goal, most of which were blocked at the last second, however.

Captain Jackson Irvine with one of his team's many attempts on goal in the first half.

Both teams emerged unchanged for the second half. The Boys in Brown remained the busier side but were unable to create any meaningful chances in the opening stages. Mainz were content to sit back and wait for a chance to break, a strategy that was to prove successful in the 62^nd minute when Sieb won possession in his own half and picked out Amiri in the middle, who sent Burkardt on his way. The forward kept a cool head and netted with an angled drive into the far corner. 

Blessin responded and introduced Danel Sinani and Morgan Guilavogui for Robert Wagner and Oladapo Afolayan, but it was Mwene who fired into the side netting at the other end after yet another Mainz counterthrust on 70. Eight minutes later, Amiri tested Vasilj from 30 metres. The Boys in Brown posed little threat in the closing stages. Eric Smith poked the ball towards goal from a cross, but Zentner gathered comfortably. Irvine then escaped his marker in the box, only to head over. The home fans roared their side forward despite the scoreline but it was to no avail and it ended 3-0.

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Wahl, Smith, Mets - Saliakas, Irvine, Wagner (Guilavogui 63'), Treu (Ritzka 83') - Afolayan (Sinani 63'), Eggestein (Banks 83'), Saad (Albers 90')

Head coach: Alexander Blessin

FSV Mainz 05

Zentner - Leitsch, Jenz, Kohr - Mwene, Amiri (Hong 83'), Sano, Caci - Lee, Burkardt (Weiper 90'), Sieb (Nebel 65')

Head coach: Bo Henriksen

Goals: 0-1 Burkardt (5'), 0-2 Sieb (16'), 0-3 Burkardt (62')

Yellow cards: Sieb, Jenz, Kohr

Referee: Christian Dingert (Lebecksmühle)

Attendance: 29,546 (sold out)

Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters