18:00 Pokal Kickoffs: St. Pauli and Mainz avoid upsets in extra time, Hoffenheim advance on penalties

In their first competitive fixture of the 2024/25 German footballing campaign, newly promoted Bundesliga side FC St. Pauli have survived a serious scare against fourth-tier opponents Hallescher FC. The smaller Hamburg club were humbled in their opening round Pokal fixture against an East German side relegated from the 3. Liga last season. In their first match as a top tier club in over 13 years, the “Kiezkicker” had to twice come from behind before finally securing a winner in extra time. 

Newly-appointed St. Pauli trainer Alexander Blessin – operating with the tailwind of a very successful pre-season behind him – kept the XI from the final test-fixture together. New summer signings Robert Wagner, Morgan Guilavogui, and Ian Stevens were given their competitive debut for the Kiezkicker. Blessin lined the team up in a 3-5-2 formation with captain Jackson Irvine anchoring the midfield. Wagner and Connor Metcalfe served as buttressing support attackers behind a two-striker set of Guilavogui and Johannes Eggestein. 

Guilavogui immediately made his presence felt with a stinging effort in on goal just seconds after kickoff. HFC keeper Sven Müller did well to keep what might have been the opening goal out of the back of the net. Guilavogui would get the second major chance of the match in the 10th, testing Müller’s reflexes yet again with an excellent effort off a corner. Apart from the two Guilavogui efforts, however, it was the hosts that contributed the more spirited football. The East Germans were rewarded with the opening goal in the 11th.

St. Pauli keeper Nikola Vasilj – an absolute rock for the Hamburgers last season – gifted Halle a lead with a botched clearance directly in front of onrushing striker Cyril Akono. The one-time BVB II attacker lifted the ball over the unfocused backstop and toed the 1-0 into the back of the net. The Hanseaten couldn’t muster up much coherent in response over the course of the opening 45. Instead, it was the hosts that enjoyed the better chances. Young American attacker Joe-Joe Richardson nearly netted the 2-0 off a corner in the 37th. 

Blessin surely had choice words for his team after their lackluster first-half display. Three minutes after the restart, Eggestein was able to equalize on a straightforward vertical attack that concluded with Guilavogui crossing for him in the 48th. The Bundesliga side’s went in search of the lead, yet couldn’t find many solutions in attack. More long balls in Guilavogui’s direction only resulted in the new acquisition repeatedly getting caught offside. Metcalfe thought he had netted 2-1 in the 57th before the offside flag cancelled his celebrations.

The hosts reclaimed their rhythm shirty before the hour-mark and then managed to re-take the lead in the 62nd. Akono registered an assist this time after an impressive combo-heavy attack sequence that concluded with wingback Marius Hauptmann finding the back-of-the-net. The Hanseatic “Pirates” never really recovered from the second shock, looking very rattled both in open play and on set-pieces. When HFC keeper Müller made another monster stop on Elias Saad at 90+3, it seemed as if the upset would be sealed.

Substitute defender Adam Zwingala had other plans. The Polish defender kept his eyes on a cross that slipped through actors from both sides at 90+4 and trike-kicked home St. Pauli’s second equalizer of the night. Little transpired between the two exhausted sides in either of the added periods until Lars Ritzka headed in a Philipp Treu cross in the 110th. St. Pauli resolutely defended their first lead of the night until the full time whistle. 

Elsewhere in two other simultaneous kickoffs on Friday evening, top-tier sides FSV Mainz 05 and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim were also taken to extra time by their respective lower tier opponents. Bo Henriksen’s Rheinhessen recovered from a one-goal deficit against near neighbors SV Wehen Wiesbaden. Mainz squad leaders Jonathan Burkardt and Nadiem Amiri added late strikes in quick succession to give Henriksen’s crew a 3-1 victory 

The chaotic times at Hoffenheim have regrettably manifested into a shaky opening performance. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s Kraichgauer were taken to penalties by the Würzberger Kickers after 120 minutes resulted in a 2-2 scoreline. Marius Bülter scored the only TSG goal of the night, with a Würzberger own-goal helping the Sinsheimers out. Back-up keeper Luca Philipp made one save in the shootout to help Hoffenheim advance.