Bundesliga
St. Pauli made it seven points from their opening three Bundesliga games after defeating Augsburg 2-1 at the Millerntor, with Danel Sinani's late free-kick securing a massive three points for Alexander Blessin's side.
St. Pauli 2–1 Augsburg
Goals: 0-1 Rieder 16‘ (assist: Massengo), 1-1 Hountondji 45‘, 2-1 Sinani 77’
The Kiezkickers entered the contest having never gone through their opening three fixtures without defeat in the top flight, but spirits were high following a promising draw against Borussia Dortmund and a derby victory over Hamburg.
Sandro Wagner's Augsburg arrived looking to spoil the party, having never lost a competitive match at St. Pauli, winning two and drawing two of their previous meetings.
The opening exchanges proved tense with both sides feeling each other out in midfield. Marius Wolf registered the first meaningful attempt for Augsburg, driving through midfield before forcing a save from Nikola Vasilj at his near post.
As the home supporters waited for their side to find rhythm, the visitors struck first in the 16th minute when Han-Noah Massengo won possession on the flank before delivering a perfect cross to the far post, where Fabian Rieder arrived to head home on his Augsburg debut. Vasilj got fingertips to the ball but couldn't prevent it nestling in the net, giving Wagner's men the perfect start.
Pauli gradually found their footing after conceding, with Arkadiusz Pyrka causing problems down the right flank. The breakthrough finally came in dramatic fashion just before half-time when Cédric Zesiger was penalised for handball following a corner. Andréas Hountondji stepped up to take the spot-kick, which Finn Dahmen brilliantly saved low to his right. However, the Augsburg keeper could only parry the ball back into the danger area, allowing Hountondji to pounce on the rebound and fire home.
The strike made history, as Hountondji became the first player ever to score in each of St. Pauli's first three matches of a Bundesliga season.
Blessin made two changes at the interval, introducing Martijn Kaars for goalscorer Hountondji and Manolis Saliakas for the booked Pyrka. Those moves immediately paid dividends as the hosts began the second period on the front foot, with Mathias Pereira Lage forcing Dahmen into an early save after a neat one-two with Joel Chima Fujita.
The hosts continued to build pressure, looking increasingly likely to take the lead as the half progressed. Kaars nearly marked his introduction with a goal, firing just wide after being set up by Sinani.
Augsburg remained dangerous on the counter, however, with former Pauli man Elias Saad testing Vasilj with a powerful drive, but the Bosnian goalkeeper was equal to the challenge.
The decisive moment arrived in the 77th minute after Robin Fellhauer committed a foul just outside the Augsburg penalty area. Sinani stepped up to take the resulting free-kick from a tight angle on the right, unleashing low, bending strike that flew past Dahmen into the net, with the help of an Augsburg leg.
St. Pauli took a lead that their second-half performance thoroughly deserved, and Wagner responded with a double substitution, bringing on Aiman Dardari and Ismaël Gharbi for the final push, but the visitors struggled to create clear-cut opportunities. The home side managed the closing stages well, with their defence holding firm to secure a historic victory that extends their unbeaten start.
While Hountondji's goal continued his remarkable scoring streak, it was Sinani who truly made the difference for St. Pauli. The Luxembourg international was at the heart of everything good about the hosts' performance, covering more ground than any other player on the pitch (12.2km) despite being the most pressed player in the match (under pressure 27 times).
His ability to find space and create opportunities for teammates kept Augsburg on the back foot throughout the second half before he produced the game's defining moment with his free-kick. The tremendous strike from nearly 24 metres showcased both technique and nerve, turning what was a low-probability chance (xG of just 0.0441) into a match-winning goal. Sinani's overall contribution, capped by his stunning winner, fully justified the fans' selection of him as Man of the Match with 39% of the vote.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: St. Pauli 2.96 - Augsburg 0.72
Fastest player: Andréas Hountondji (St. Pauli), 33.14 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 2-1 by Danel Sinani (St. Pauli), 4.41 percent
Most pressed player: Danel Sinani (St. Pauli), 27 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Nikola Vasilj (St. Pauli), +4.62
Fantasy Heroes: Finn Dahmen (Augsburg, 322 Points), Fabian Rieder (Augsburg, 269 Points), Danel Sinani (St. Pauli, 267 Points)