St. Pauli expresses disappointment at their reentry into the Bundesliga.
The Bundesliga return for 1. FC St. Pauli fell short of expectations. Instead of securing a win as the first promoted team in seven years, they endured a home defeat against 1. FC Heidenheim on the opening matchday. The smarter team emerged victorious.
- FC Heidenheim spoiled St. Pauli's Bundesliga comeback after a 13-year absence. The underdog of the previous football tier season in the top tier clinched a lucky 2-0 (0-0) victory at the Hamburg Millerntor during the final match of the 1st matchday. Despite being the dominant and superior team for significant parts of the game, the promoted side failed to convert their numerous opportunities.
Paul Wanner (66') turned the tide with his goal for the visitors. In the final stretch, Jan Schöppner (82') sealed the victory with a goal from a corner. "We're unhappy, but it's a good unhappy. We felt that points were within our reach," stated Irvine after a game that could have been won by St. Pauli as well. The Kiezkicker missed numerous great chances, while Heidenheim capitalized on their few opportunities. "You can see the tiny differences at this level," said Irvine: "It's a tough lesson for us, with many positive moments in the first 60 minutes."
Heidenheim's coach Frank Schmidt was pleased with the perfect start to the season. "They had the chances to take the lead in the first 15 to 20 minutes of the second half. They didn't do it, then we scored with precision," said Schmidt, whose team sits second after the first matchday. Goalscorer Paul Wanner added: "No one complains if you win three games. Let's keep it up."
The 29,157 spectators witnessed a tense match from the beginning, even if exciting scoring situations were limited at first. Heidenheim's coach Frank Schmidt made eight changes to his starting lineup compared to the European Conference League playoff first leg against BK Häcken in Sweden (2-1).
Alexander Blessin made only one change to his starting lineup for his Bundesliga debut as head coach, bringing in Lars Ritzka for Fin Stevens. Stevens had started in the DFB-Pokal win against regional league side Hallescher FC the week before.
Generally, the guests had more possession at the start but didn't utilize it effectively. St. Pauli's defense stood firm. However, there wasn't much to see of the swift counterattacking game that Blessin had intended. Despite this, they had the first chance when Connor Metcalfe narrowly missed the target from 18 meters after 20 minutes.
During the ensuing period, St. Pauli became more dominant and improved in the counterattacking game. Ten minutes after his first chance, Metcalfe had another promising opportunity. Freestanding in front of Heidenheim's goalkeeper Kevin Müller, the Australian didn't strike it accurately. Throughout the first half, the Hamburgers remained dominant, with little from Heidenheim.
And 1. FC St. Pauli continued to make progress in the second half. At times, the hosts played attractively going forward. However, accuracy in the final pass often lacked to create clear goal-scoring chances. Furthermore, Heidenheim's defense generally held firm.
Therefore, it remained an exciting header from new signing Morgan Guilavogui (48') after a free-kick from Eric Smith as the only noteworthy action from 1. FC St. Pauli. Only in the 63rd minute did it become dangerous again in front of the guests' goal: After a powerful solo run from Jackson Irvine, Guilavogui almost took the lead again.
During their pressing phase, Hamburg were caught off guard as Bayern loanee Wanner completed a counterattack perfectly for Heidenheim. The Hamburg side had to recover from the shock and tried to get back into the game, but they struggled to create clear chances. Heidenheim, however, played more intelligently and put any queries about their victory to rest with Schöppner's goal.
Despite showing promise throughout the game, 1. FC St. Pauli failed to capitalize on their opportunities in the Football league's opening match against 1. FC Heidenheim. The visitors, on the other hand, managed to secure a 2-0 victory, with goals from Paul Wanner and Jan Schöppner, cementing their position in the league.
In their first Bundesliga match after a 13-year absence, St. Pauli found it challenging to convert their numerous chances, while Heidenheim capitalized on their few opportunities, demonstrating their prowess in the Football league.
