FC St. Pauli

On his first Millerntor appearance as head coach, Fabian Hürzeler named an unchanged side from the 1-0 win at Mönchengladbach last week for the dress rehearsal against Danish top-division club FC Midtjylland before the league campaign resumes at FC Nürnberg next Sunday. Of the four new signings, Karol Mets was the only one to start, with Maurides Roque Junior and Elias Saad beginning on the bench. The game came around too early for Oladapo Afolayan, who joined the club just two days ago, and so he watched his new teammates from the stands.

The Boys in Brown sought to control the proceedings from the outset, but with the Danish outfit disrupting their build-up play early, they struggled to pass their way forward from the back. The visitors fashioned the first opportunity from a corner in the eighth minute, but left-back Paulinho hoofed his long-range effort into the North Stand. Both teams kept things tight in the ensuing period and there were no chances of note at either end until the 19th minute when Valdemar Byskov embarked on a run down the left channel to the byeline. His square ball could have proved a threat, but Karol Mets was able to clear.

The Boys in Brown hit back quickly, only for Connor Metcalfe to get caught up in traffic following a Lukas Daschner pass. Their first really good chance arrived ten minutes later when the advancing Manolis Saliakas collected a crossfield ball from Daschner and rifled a shot from the inside-left channel against the crossbar. Byskov then had a golden opportunity for a decent Danish side. Nikola Vasilj came out of his area and knocked the ball square straight to Byskov, whose lob over the solitary defender, Eric Smith, came down on top of the goal. Just before the break, it was the turn of the Boys in Brown again, but Jackson Irvine headed a Leart Paqarada cross just wide of the right-hand upright. Moments later, the half-time whistle sounded.

Midtjylland coach Albert Capellas made two changes for the second half, while the Boys in Brown emerged unchanged. Just a few minutes in play had to stop for a lengthy interlude when Midtjylland keeper Elias Ólafsson required treatment after a collision with Metcalfe and eventually had to go off with 51 minutes gone. Jonas Lössl took his place in goal. The game itself was pretty much a carbon copy of the first half, with neither defence giving much away, ensuring both teams struggled to get close to the opposition goal and create chances. Paqarada then plucked up the courage to have a pop from 25 metres, but Lössl was perfectly placed to turn the ball over the crossbar.

Hürzeler made his first substitution soon after, introducing Jakov Medić for Karol Mets. His opposite number then threw on eight fresh players, leaving none of the starting eleven on the pitch. David Otto had an opportunity to make the visitors pay for a loss of possession moments later, but after collecting a pass from Metcalfe he was denied by Lössl from 15 metres with a low shot that was a little too centrally placed. The game struggled to develop any flow after that and there were no more opportunities of note for 6,000 or so fans to enjoy. Substitute Betim Fazliji did have a go from distance on 87, but his effort was way too high.

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Dźwigała (Beifus 73'), Smith, Mets (Medić 62') - Saliakas, Irvine (Fazliji 81'), Hartel, Paqarada (Ritzka 81') - Metcalfe (Maurides 73'), Otto (Aremu 73'), Daschner (Eggestein 81')

Head coach: Fabian Hürzeler

FC Midtjylland

Ólafsson (Lössl 51') - Gartenmann (Charles 64'), Andersson (Thychosen 46'), Olsson (Texel 64'), Isaksen (Lind 64'), Byskov (Hansen 64'), Sörensen (Şimşir 46'), Sviatchenko (Jamiu 64'), Paulinho (Juninho 64') , Gigović (Bak 64'), Heiselberg (Fraulo 64')

Head coach: Albert Capellas

Goals: none

Yellow cards: none / Jamiu

Referee: Konrad Oldhafer (Hamburg)

Attendance: 5,731

Photos: FC St. Pauli