FC St. Pauli

After two away matches in a row, the Boys in Brown were glad to be back at the Millerntor. Missing from the squad was Eric Smith, who picked up a fifth yellow card in last week's win at Heidenheim. His place in the starting lineup was taken by Lars Ritzka. Elias Saad was also named in the squad after a three-month injury layoff. He began on the bench. Union boss Steffen Baumgart named an unchanged side after the 2-1 home defeat of Mainz 05 last weekend. The sole adjustment was the return of left-back Tom Rothe from suspension to start on the bench in place of Jérôme Roussillon.

In a rather tepid opening to the game the visitors edged the possession and had the first opportunity in the third minute through a Robert Skov free-kick from the right-hand corner of the box, but he sent it well over the crossbar. The Boys in Brown were happy to surrender the initiative at this stage and rely on some resolute defending. On 20 minutes a header from Union defender Danilho Doekhi also flew well over the top. Both teams continued to feel each other out until the 27^th minute, when a corner delivered into the box was flicked on to the unmarked Morgan Guilavogui, whose close-range effort clipped the crossbar on its way over. The referee's assistant raised his flag immediately, but the TV pictures showed that the decision would have been reversed had the ball gone in.

The Blessin XI were in the ascendancy now and Jackson Irvine charged into the box to collect a pass from Eggestein, smacking a low drive towards the bottom corner that Union keeper Alexander Schwolow turned round the post for a corner, which came to nothing. Soon after, the third opportunity in five minutes brought the all-important opener. A fine passing move in midfield ended with Irvine threading a pass through to Guilavogui, who hammered a shot into the roof of the net from a narrow angle to leave Schwolow clutching thin air. A peach of a goal!

Union looked to hit back and Benedict Hollerbach came close to levelling almost immediately when he chased a long ball forward and skipped past Manolis Saliakas, only to be denied by a smart reflex save by Nikola Vasilj. Both teams were investing much more than in the opening stages and threatening the opposition penalty box in the process. Another St. Pauli corner straight from the training ground saw Eggestein go for goal, but his low drive was blocked in a crowded goal area. That was the last of the action and the Boys in Brown went in at the break with a deserved one-goal lead.

Morgan Guilavogui celebrates after giving his side the lead.

Both coaches opted to make a change at the interval, Lars Ritzka making way for Carlo Boukhalfa, while László Bénes replaced András Schäfer for the visitors. Unlike the first half, the second began with a bang. A miscued clearance saw Union striker Jordan bear down on the home goal, but his effort was blocked by a superb sliding tackle from Hauke Wahl. The response from the Boys in Brown was not long in coming. Weißhaupt delivered a cross to the far post, where Eggestein headed wide of the goal. Seconds later, Irvine won the ball in midfield and ushered in a rapid counterattack in which Eggestein knocked the ball across to Guilavogui in the right channel, and he wasted no time drilling a low shot beyond Schwolow to make it 2-0. 

Union took a few minutes to regain their composure but then Hollerbach ran onto a long ball forward and unloaded from a tight angle, his shot fizzing over the top. Baumgart responded to going two down by introducing Kevin Volland and Yorbe Vertessen and switching to a back four.  The Blessin XI showed no signs of letting up, however. Philipp Treu won a crunching challenge with Doekhi and sent Weißhaupt on his way, and his right-foot shot took a slight deflection before striking the bottom of the post. So close!

The Boys in Brown looked the more likely of the two sides to score and Guilavogui found Weißhaupt in the box following a counterattack, but he was put off in the act of shooting and his effort lacked power. There were no signs of a late rally by the visitors despite a Diogo Leite header from a free-kick, Vasilj gathering safely. At the other end substitute Dapo Afolayan was presented with another opportunity on the break, but his dinked effort came down on top of the goal.

In the closing stages the visitors threatened with a couple of set pieces, Tom Rothe heading wide from one promising corner, but it was the home side who settled it in time added on. Just moments after coming on, Danel Sinani made it 3-0, firing in from Guilavogui's backheeled pass.

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj – Nemeth, Wahl, Ritzka (Boukhalfa 46') – Saliakas (Stevens 90'), Irvine, Sands, Treu – Guilavogui (Banks 90'+3), Eggestein (Sinani 90'), Weißhaupt (Afolayan 78')

Head coach: Alexander Blessin

Union Berlin

Schwolow – Doekhi, Querfeld (Vertessen 60'), Leite – Juranovic, Haberer (Skarke 71'), Kemlein, Skov (Rothe 71') – Schäfer (Bénes 46') – Jordan (Volland 60'), Hollerbach

Head coach: Steffen Baumgart

Goals: 1-0 Guilavogui (31'), 2-0 Guilavogui (51'), 3-0 Sinani (90'+3)

Yellow cards: Schäfer, Bénes

Referee: Sören Storks (Velen)

Attendance: 29,546 (sold out)

Photos: FC St. Pauli