FC St. Pauli

Head coach Fabian Hürzeler handed new striker Andreas Albers his first start for the Boys in Brown for the pre-season workout against VfB Oldenburg. Nikola Vasilj began between the sticks despite having only returned from his extended holiday a day earlier. In keeper Jhonny Peitzmeier and Leon Deichmann, two former FCSP Under-23 players featured in Oldenburg's starting lineup.

The first couple of chances fell to Oldenburg, though Vasilj had no trouble dealing with the shots from Drilon Demaj and Kamer Krasniqi. And then the Boys in Brown were awarded a penalty. Connor Metcalfe won the ball on the right-hand edge of the penalty area and teed up Albers, who was fouled. First-half captain Eric Smith stepped up and slotted the spot-kick into the bottom left-hand corner to give his side a tenth-minute lead.

The Hürzeler XI looked to move the ball around quickly at every opportunity and were often successful, though not always, on a pitch that was dull in places. Oldenburg were content to sit back but did make repeated attempts to get the ball forward. In the 18th minute, for example, Nico Knystock was allowed too much space on the left and his ball in was headed a couple of metres wide by centre-back Fabian Herbst. At the other end, Smith grabbed the ball again, this time for a free-kick 25 metres out rather than a penalty. He gave it a whack and the ball smashed against the crossbar.

Three minutes later, the ball did find the back of the net. Elias Saad did the spadework with some fine work on the left and Metcalfe added the finishing touch from close range. And there was more to come. Carlo Boukhalfa won possession in the Oldenburg half and the ball found its way to Adam Dźwigała, who spotted Oldenburg keeper Peitzmeier off his line and made it 3-0 with a filigree effort into the top corner. Oldenburg almost pulled one back on 40 when Vasilj had to produce a fine save to keep out a shot from Rafael Brand. Soon after, Saad had an opportunity to add a fourth, but his header from a Metcalfe cross was saved by Peitzmeier.

Eric Smith opens the scoring from the spot on 10 minutes.

Hürzeler fielded a completely new team in the second half. Goalkeeper Sascha Burchert took the captain's armband, with Hauke Wahl partnering Marcel Hartel in defensive midfield. The pattern of the play remained the same, however – the Boys in Brown continued to dictate and quickly added a fourth goal. A long ball from Jakov Medić was flicked on by Lars Ritzka into the path of David Otto with a textbook header and he left Sebastian Mielitz no chance with a powerfully struck shot into the bottom-left corner. Five minutes later Otto was brought down in the box and referee Theodor Potiyenko pointed to the spot. Marcel Hartel took on the responsibility and converted into the top right-hand corner to make it 5-0.

It remained one-way traffic, with Burchert a virtual spectator. Amenyido knocked a cross from the left to the back post, where Manolis Saliakas climbed highest, only to steer his header just past the post. Otto was the next to miss out on making it six, his shot from outside the box fizzing wide of the target. The Boys in Brown continued to excel in defence while all this was going on, and Oldenburg struggled to get anywhere near the penalty area.

At the other end, Mielitz comfortably saved a Ritzka header, but there was nothing he could do four minutes later when Amenyido slotted a pinpoint effort into the bottom left-hand corner to make it 6-0. Hartel narrowly missed the target in the 80th minute, paving the way for Bennet Winter to enter the fray in place of Oladapo Afolayan. The Hürzeler XI fashioned another couple of chances in the closing stages but were unable to extend their lead. Wahl headed over from a Hartel corner, Medić was denied by Mielitz with a header, and Hartel fired just over from outside the box.

Head coach Fabian Hürzeler gave a positive summary after the game: “We played some really good high-intensity football, especially in the first half, when there were lots of personal duels. The grass was very long and the pitch was tight, but we adapted very well. We kept the tempo high from start to finish and had some good patterns. We were much more resolute compared with the Dunfermline game and our positioning was better. We kept getting lots of players into the box and when you do that you will score. We can always improve things and that’s what we’ll do. After a very intensive week of training I can be very happy with the performance.”

VfB Oldenburg

1st half: Peitzmeier – Appiah, Deichmann, Herbst (Busch 59'), Brand, Demaj, Wegner, Krasniqi, Diop, Knystock, Käuper

2nd half: Mielitz - Appiah, Herbst, Plautz, Richter, Demaj, Sarrasch, Erfurth, Gaida, Hajdinaj, Müller

Head coach: Benjamin Duda

FC St. Pauli

1st half: Vasilj - Dźwigała, Smith, Mets - Günther, Aremu, Boukhalfa, Treu - Metcalfe, Albers, Saad

2nd half: Burchert - Saliakas, Nemeth, Medić, Ritzka - Eggestein, Wahl, Hartel - Afolayan (Winter 81'), Otto, Amenyido

Head coach: Fabian Hürzeler

Goals: 0-1 Smith (pen. 10'), 0-2 Metcalfe (21'), 0-3 Dźwigała (27'), 0-4 Otto (53'), 0-5 Hartel (pen. 58'), 0-6 Amenyido (79')

Referee: Theodor Potiyenko (Hude)

Attendance: approx. 700

Photos: FC St. Pauli