St. Pauli and Hamburg play out goalless derby draw
St. Pauli and Hamburg played out a tense 0-0 draw in the Hamburg derby, in a match where clear-cut chances were at a premium and both sides seemed intent on avoiding defeat.
Both sides came into the Hamburg derby desperate for points in their battle against relegation and having struggled further since returning from the winter break. Bottom-placed St. Pauli were the hosts for local rivals Hamburg, and having won the away fixture on Matchday 2, Pauli fans would have been hopeful of achieving the club's first-ever Bundesliga double over their rivals.
The visitors were without captain Yussuf Poulsen through injury, while St. Pauli welcomed club captain Jackson Irvine back to the squad after his own injury struggles.
Early setback for Hamburg
The match began in a typically frantic derby fashion before Hamburg suffered an early setback. Just seven minutes in, Adam Dźwigała's reckless challenge on Alexander Rössing-Lelesiit earned the St. Pauli defender the first yellow card of the evening. The tackle proved costly for both sides as Rössing-Lelesiit couldn't continue, forcing Merlin Polzin into an early change with Fabio Baldé entering the fray.
St. Pauli had a penalty shout waved away in the 16th minute when a ball struck Bakery Jatta's arm, with neither referee nor VAR interested. The first half continued in a cautious manner, with the best efforts of the half generally coming from offside positions. The only shot on target of the opening 45 minutes came when Hamburg countered through Damion Downs, Fábio Vieira and Baldé just before the break, but the latter's shot was an easy save for Nikola Vasilj.
Second-half improvements
St. Pauli introduced Ricky-Jade Jones for Martijn Kaars at half-time, with the Englishman later recording the fastest sprint of the Bundesliga season at 36.46 km/h.
The tempo increased after the break, with Hamburg creating their best chance on 54 minutes when Luka Vušković's header from a Miro Muheim corner forced a fine save from Vasilj.
Alexander Blessin turned to his bench around the hour-mark, bringing on Danel Sinani and the returning captain Irvine. The changes saw the hosts come to life for the first time as St. Pauli finished the game strongly. In the space of five minutes, Eric Smith, Sinani and Arkadiusz Pyrka all had decent efforts kept out by Daniel Heuer Fernandes. However, neither side could find a way through, as both sides had to settle for a point that hardly aids either side in their fight to avoid relegation.
Man of the Match: Luka Vušković
Vušković produced another commanding display that belied his youth. The 18-year-old Croatian defender was rock solid at the back, helping Hamburg keep a clean sheet away from home while also posing an attacking threat with two shots, including a dangerous header that forced Vasilj into one of the saves of the match. The teenager recorded an impressive 105 touches of the ball, just 20 shy of his season-best tally. Vušković's performance earned him a match-high 307 fantasy points as he continues to establish himself as one of the Bundesliga's brightest defensive prospects.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: St. Pauli 0.7 - Hamburg 0.48
Fastest player: Ricky-Jade Jones (St. Pauli), 36.46 km/h
Most pressed player: Fabio Baldé (Hamburg), 14 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Nicolai Remberg (Hamburg), +3.01
Fantasy Heroes: Luka Vušković (Hamburg, 307 Points), Eric Smith (St. Pauli, 177 Points), Daniel Heuer Fernandes (Hamburg, 168 Points)
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