FC St. Pauli is still flying high in the 2nd league under coach Fabian Hürzeler. Against 1. FC Nürnberg on Saturday (October 7th, 2023), the team impressively secured a 5:1 (1:1) win and the lead in the table.
Fabian Hürzeler started his success story as coach at St. Pauli with a 1-0 win in Nuremberg. Now there was a reunion with the opponent against whom the 30-year-old had once celebrated his debut. And he was able to further improve his incredible record of 18 wins, six draws and only two defeats. And so the Hürzeler team goes into the international break as league leaders ahead of local rivals HSV.
Saad completed dream combination, Okunuki punishes Vasilj mistakes
The Paulians dominated the game from the first minute, convincing with their combination play and uncompromising counter-pressing after losing the ball. The hosts managed to make it 1-0 early on and this goal was proof of the enthusiasm that Hürzeler instilled in his team. After a great attack, Marcel Hartel backheeled the ball to Jackson Irvine, who was back after an injury break of several weeks, and Elias Saad used his assist from close range (4th).
St. Pauli had the game completely under control from then on, Nuremberg did not have a promising attack. But then Nikola Vasilj made a misfire that resulted in the surprising equalizer. The goalkeeper played a cocky bad pass after Mats Möller Daehli fed Kanji Okunuki in the Pauli penalty area, who placed the ball in the far corner (24′).
The hosts then appeared undeterred and continued to apply pressure, but Nuremberg was able to withstand it better than before the attack. FCN goalkeeper Christian Mathenia only had to parry an 18-meter shot from Oladapo Afolayan (36′); despite their superiority, St. Pauli couldn’t achieve more because the last passes in the final third were not received.
Double whammy in seven minutes
But that changed suddenly after the break. At first St. Pauli set it up in a fairly simple way. Eric Smith crossed with a free kick and Johannes Eggestein scored from close range to make it 2-1 (49′). A little later there was great art again. Vasilj initiated an attack that culminated in Eggestein’s second goal after a fantastic assist from Hartel (56′). Fantastic football from St. Pauli – as so often under Hürzeler.
But Vasilj also had to prove his skills after his mistake. The Hamburg keeper defused a strong shot from Lukas Schmelzer, just barely deflected it onto the crossbar and thus prevented Nuremberg from scoring again (70′). Immediately afterwards, St. Pauli went on the offensive again, Mathenia had to prevent Manolis Saliakas from conceding their fourth goal with a flying save (73′).
The hosts then controlled the game and hardly allowed their opponents to get the ball. And then there was the crowning finale: Etienne Amenyido made it 4-1 with a fantastic shot (90+4), and shortly afterwards Connor Metcalfe made it 5-1 (90+5). St. Pauli still undefeated after nine league games, again with a strong overall performance and under Hürzeler this form is still on the way to the Bundesliga.
St. Pauli in Paderborn, Nuremberg welcomes Hertha
On the next matchday, FC St. Pauli will be guests at SC Paderborn (Saturday, October 21st, 2023 at 1:00 p.m.). One day later, Nurember will face the Hertha BSC team (1:30 p.m.).