FC St. Pauli

Morgan Guilavogui returned to the starting lineup after missing last week's 2-0 home defeat to Werder Bremen due to suspension. He came in for Danel Sinani, who dropped to the bench. In a further change, Eric Smith failed a late fitness test on a calf injury and was replaced by Lars Ritzka. Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness made just one adjustment to the side that won 3-1 at Heidenheim, Yannik Keitel deputising for captain Atakan Karazor, who missed out through illness. Before the game started, the two teams and the 60,000 spectators observed a minute's silence in honour of the victims of the Magdeburg Christmas market attack.

The home side looked to take control of the proceedings from the outset, but the Boys in Brown gave as good as they got – both in and out of possession – and they came close to taking the lead in the eighth minute when Stuttgart keeper Alexander Nübel made a mess of an attempted clearance. Jackson Irvine knocked the ball to Guilavogui, who in turn teed up Johannes Eggestein with a backheel, and his shot from the edge of the box fizzed a whisker past the left-hand upright. Three minutes later Nübel had no problem dealing with a harmless effort from Guilavogui. The hosts threatened for the first time on 13 when Ritzka headed an Angelo Stiller cross onto the back of Enzo Millot and ball bounced back towards goal, where it was tipped over the bar by Nikola Vasilj. Nick Woltemade then picked out the unmarked Millot inside the box and Vasilj had to get down quickly to keep the shot out of the bottom right corner. The keeper kept his side on level terms again from the resulting corner, this time denying Yannik Keitel.

With 21 minutes gone, the Blessin XI showed the home side how it is done. Carlo Boukhalfa intercepted a pass in his own half and played the ball out left to Oladapo Afolayan, who delivered a cross into the middle. Stuttgart were unable to clear their lines under pressure from Irvine on the edge of the area, and the ball found its way to Eggestein. The striker sidestepped Maximilian Mittelstädt and left Nübel no chance with a shot from eight metres that took a slight deflection off the Stuttgart defender on its way into the net.

The home side responded almost immediately, Jeff Chabot's header flying just wide of the target, but overall they continued to struggle to create chances worthy of the name, which was primarily due to a strong collective showing by the Boys in Brown, who tidied up immediately whenever a teammate was beaten. On 36 minutes, however, Mittelstädt was allowed to dispatch a cross from the left-hand side for the unmarked Woltemade to head towards goal, though Vasilj gathered with aplomb. Eggestein then tried his luck from the right channel and there was still time for Hauke Wahl to block a shot from Ermedin Demitović before the half-time whistle went.

Johannes Eggestein does brilliantly to shrug off the attentions of Maximilian Mittelstädt and beat Alexander Nübel to open the scoring.

The Boys in Brown emerged unchanged for the final 45 minutes of the year, while Stuttgart introduced Anrie Chase for Anthony Rouault. The hosts increased the pressure and quickly fashioned the first chance after the restart, but Wahl was able to get in the way of Woltemade's shot. Three minutes later, the same player was denied by Vasilj from a corner. At the other end, Afolayan went to ground in a challenge with Chase and Dr Felix Brych pointed to the spot, a decision he confirmed after a VAR review. Eggestein stepped up and aimed down the middle, but Nübel was wise to it, standing his ground to make the save and then keep out Irvine's rebound effort.

Stuttgart continued to press, but with the backing of some 6,000 travelling fans the Boys in Brown pulled out all the stops to make life as difficult as possible for last season's league runners-up. Keitel rifled a low effort wide right from distance just after the hour before Demirović almost levelled the scores from a tight angle. Fortunately, the ball flew narrowly past the right-hand post. Blessin's charges were not content just to defend, however, and pushed forward whenever the opportunity arose, as in the 67^th minute  when Afolayan hit a shot over the crossbar from range. Back at the other end, Vasilj produced a fine stop to deny Millot 60 seconds later.

Blessin then made a double substitution, throwing on Adam Dźwigała and Danel Sinani for Lars Ritzka and Johannes Eggestein to help see the game out and enter the short winter break having secured three vital points. Stuttgart continued to press and Woltemade had a shot blocked by Dźwigała, after which the home side launched a wave of attacks without finding a way to unlock the brown-and-white rearguard.

Ten minutes from time Afolayan had a huge chance to double the advantage after being played in by Irvine. A shimmy left Keitel floundering, giving Afolayan a clear sight of goal, but his shot struck the left-hand upright and the chance was gone. Less than 120 seconds later, the Englishman chased down a long ball forward, but with just Nübel to beat he was denied by the Stuttgart custodian.

The Boys in Brown were almost made to pay moments later and had Philipp Treu to thank for sliding in to block an effort by substitute Fabian Rieder, a moment that summed up the performance of the whole team. Stuttgart are an excellent footballing side full of individual quality, yet whenever they combined their way into the box there was always a St. Pauli player to snuff out the danger at the last moment. The Boys in Brown continued to give their all right to the end and were able to see the game out and take three huge points into the winter break thanks to a magnificent team display.

VfB Stuttgart

Nübel - Vagnoman (Rieder 65'), Rouault (Chase 46'), Chabot (Stenzel 74'), Mittelstädt - Millot, Keitel (Malanga 89'), Stiller, Führich - Woltemade, Demirović

Head coach: Sebastian Hoeness

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Nemeth, Wahl, Ritzka (Dźwigała 69') - Saliakas, Irvine, Boukhalfa, Treu - Afolayan (Albers 90'+1), Eggestein (Sinani 69'), Guilavogui (Ahlstrand 81')

Head coach: Alexander Blessin

Goals: 0-1 Eggestein (21')

Yellow cards: Keitel, Woltemade – Eggestein, Sinani

Referee: Dr Felix Brych (Munich)

Attendance: 60,058 (sold out)

Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters