Newly promoted FC St. Pauli has picked up its first point of the season. After three previous defeats, the Bundesliga club surprisingly held Champions League participant RB Leipzig to a 0-0 draw. Coach Marco Rose’s team missed out on reaching second place in the table, but the fifth-placed team, level on points and goals with 1. FC Union Berlin, is unbeaten in 15 league games, equaling the club’s record from 2019.
The Saxons, who were unsuccessful in the European Cup during the week, appeared powerless and lacking in ideas in front of 29,251 spectators and had to accept the justified draw. The offensively oriented Hamburg team, who were reminiscent of the fast-paced football from the promotion season, should have even taken the lead at one point.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” said Pauli’s Jackson Irvine on the streaming service “DAZN.” “We could have won the game.” The team was “clear” about how the game should be played. “I’m sure there’s more to come.”
St. Pauli went on the offensive
A certain European Cup fatigue seemed to be spreading among the Saxons. Leipzig travelled to the Hanseatic city after a bitter 1:2 defeat in the Champions League at Atlético Madrid, including a goal conceded at the end of the match. Coach Rose changed his team in five positions, bringing in RB veteran Yussuf Poulsen instead of top attacker Loïs Openda.
St. Pauli’s coach Alexander Blessin, who worked as a youth coach at Leipzig between 2012 and 2020, apparently reacted to criticism in recent weeks and brought the more offensively active attacking players Oladapo Afolayan and Elias Saad from the start.
St. Pauli with more chances in the first half
This made St. Pauli look much more dangerous up front compared to the first three match days, which all resulted in defeats for the Kiez club. Saad (17th) created the first big chance with his powerful shot on the well-reacting RB goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi. Captain Jackson Irvine (18th) headed the resulting corner kick just over the visitors’ goal.
The fast wingers caused problems for the RB defense time and again, with the loud support of the fans in the stands. Meanwhile, the Hamburg defense gave the Dutch creative engine Xavi Simons little room to develop. Leipzig made a few mistakes in the build-up play and lost many duels. The strong Afolayan (42nd) missed the goal that was long overdue at that point.
Rose with triple substitution
The second half started similarly to the first. The unimaginative Leipzig team held back and the hosts dominated the game. Afolayan, who was still active, went down after a duel in the penalty area (55th minute) and called for a penalty. But referee Robert Hartmann saw things differently.
Rose reacted a little later with a triple substitution, bringing on Openda among others. The Belgian then tested St. Pauli’s Nikola Vasilj with his shot. But even after that, the guests remained far too harmless.
Source: www.sport.de
