Compared to the DFB Cup victory at Halleschen FC, head coach Alexander Blessin made one change to the starting eleven. Lars Ritzka, who was the match winner in Halle after being substituted on and provided the assist for the 2-2 and the 3-2 winning goal, started for Fin Stevens. Ritzka moved to the left side of defense, while Philipp Treu moved to the right side of defense. At 1. FC Heidenheim, which won the first leg of the Europa Conference League play-off against BK Häcken 2-1 on Thursday evening (22 August), coach Frank Schmidt made eight changes. Only captain Patrick Mainka, Jan Schöppner and winning goal scorer Leonardo Scienza also started at the Millerntor.
Everything was set for our FCSP’s Bundesliga comeback: great weather with lots of sunshine and a pleasant 20 degrees, a perfectly prepared pitch and of course a packed Millerntor with a great atmosphere and a sea of flags on the south stand as both teams ran onto the pitch. Then the ball rolled and FCH had the first chance. A long-range shot by Adrian Beck from almost 27 meters went just past the left post (4th). The Kiezkickers tried to control the game, but were unable to make a decisive breakthrough to the Heidenheim penalty area in the early stages. This was also due to one or two inaccuracies in the passing game, but also to the guests defending well. Because our Kiezkickers didn’t let much happen at the back, it remained quiet in both penalty areas.
Then the brown and whites let the ball run well and almost took the lead. The ball came from the right side to Connor Metcalfe in the center via Philipp Treu, Morgan Guilavogui, Jackson Irvine and Johannes Eggestein and he aimed for the bottom left corner from 17 meters. It was only half a meter short – a shame (20th)! Shortly afterwards, Eric Smith shot a 30-meter free kick over the bar (23rd). Our team was now in the game. Blessin’s eleven had the next good chance: Guilavogui had run off to the right after a pass from Eggestein and found the incoming Metcalfe with his cross. FCH keeper Kevin Müller made a safe save when Metcalfe took a direct shot from eight meters (30th).
The FCH itself kept looking for a way forward, but the brown and white defense was very solid. When things finally got dangerous, the unmarked Paul Wanner didn’t hit the ball properly after a failed clearance attempt from twelve meters (37th). On the other side, Treu had a shot after Jonas Föhrenbach’s header was too short, but from 14 meters in a half-right position he shot the ball over the bar (40th). That’s all that happened in the first half.
Connor Metcalfe had the chance to give our FCSP the lead twice.
Both teams returned to the pitch with no changes to their personnel. Our team got off to a better start: just 90 seconds had been played and it could have been 1-0 for our FCSP, if not should have been. After a Smith free kick from the half-field, Guilavogui rose up completely free to head the ball six metres from the goal, but he put the ball next to the left post (47th minute). Shortly afterwards, Robert Wagner could have shot from a central position 18 metres out, but he decided to cross the ball, which Föhrenbach was able to stop (50th minute). Our boys continued: after a cross from Eggestein, Ritzka got to the ball before his opponent Omar Traoré, but he fired the ball into the north stand while laying back (54th minute).
After a long time, the guests finally got back into the FCSP penalty area, but Leonarda Scienza’s shot was no problem for Vasilj (57′). On the other side, Guilavogui initially aimed well over the bar from the back (58′), and a header from Smith’s corner also went over the bar shortly afterwards (61′). Then Irvine was on his way into the penalty area on the left after a pass from Metcalfe. Our captain crossed to Guilavogui, who was then a shoe short of reaching the ball (63′). Then it went back and forth. Smith once again brought a dangerous corner into the FCH penalty area, Guilavogui’s header landed at Hauke Wahl, who failed to score from six meters and a strong reaction from Müller. The ball stayed in play and the guests switched very quickly. In the end, Wanner appeared free in front of Vasilj and gave him no chance to defend with a low shot into the bottom left corner – 0:1 (66′). The goal really turned the game on its head.
As the quarter-hour began, Blessin reacted with a triple substitution. Manolis Saliakas, Carlo Boukhalfa and Oladapo Afolayan replaced Lars Ritzka, Robert Wagner and Morgan Guilavogui (76th minute). Our team fought against the threat of an opening defeat, but FCH was ruthlessly effective. Jan Schöppner was free at the far post for a corner from Mathias Honsak, who had just been substituted on, and scored from close range – 0:2 (82nd minute). Two chances in the second half, both in. Our Kiezkickers had nothing to counter in the final phase and had to admit defeat in their Bundesliga comeback despite a good performance due to a lack of chances.
Matchday 1: FC St. Pauli vs. 1. FC Heidenheim
FC St. Pauli
Vasilj – Wahl, Smith, Mets – Treu, Irvine, Metcalfe (84. Saad), Wagner (76. Boukhalfa), Ritzka (76. Saliakas) – Guilavogui (76. Afolayan), Eggestein
Head Coach: Alexander Blessin
1. FC Heidenheim
Müller – Traoré (90.+2 Busch), Mainka, Gimber, Föhrenbach – Maloney, Schöppner – Beck (62. Pieringer), Wanner (80. Honsak), Scienza (62. Conteh) – Breunig (80. Kerber)
Head Coach: Frank Schmidt
Tor: 0:1 Wanner (66.), 0:2 Schöppner (82.)
Yellow cards: Wagner, Irvine / Maloney, Traoré, Gimber
referee: Sven Jablonski (Bremen)
Fans: 29.157
(hb)
Fotos: FC St. Pauli / Witters
