The China Mail - St Pauli upstage Hamburg in derby return

Goals in each half from Adam Dzwigala and Andreas Hountondji took St Pauli to victory, with Hamburg reduced to 10 men when defender Giorgi Gocholeishvili was shown a second yellow with 13 minutes remaining.

With the clock winding down and the home fans largely silenced, the giddy visiting supporters engulfed the away section in chants of 'city champions'.

Promoted in the summer after seven years in the second division, six-time German champions and one-time European Cup winners Hamburg rarely troubled the visitors, who have been in the top flight a season longer.

St Pauli, long in the shadow of their decorated city rivals, were in control throughout, upstaged the home side and looked far more comfortable at this level than their opponents, who will need to improve significantly to beat the drop.

The atmosphere was electric before kickoff as Hamburg celebrated their first home Bundesliga match in seven years.

Hamburg dominated possession for the opening 20 minutes but did little with it as St Pauli were content to absorb pressure and wait for a chance on the counter.

The chance came with a corner on the 19-minute mark and the visitors made the most of it, Dzwigala blasting in after a clever short corner clearly honed on the training ground.

Hamburg had few good opportunities and Pauli should have been two up at halftime, Hountondji electing to pass rather than let fly with the goal begging moments before the break.

The hosts' best period came early in the second half and they were unlucky to have a Ransford Koenigsdoerffer goal struck off for an offside on the halfway line.

The home fans erupted as the goal was initially awarded, their first in the top flight since 2018, but VAR intervened, showing the narrowest of offsides.

Just as they had done in the first half, Pauli struck ruthlessly on the counter, Hountondji taking advantage of some indecision from Hamburg 'keeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes with 60 minutes played.

Heuer Fernandes retreated with Hountondji on the break but then decided to advance, allowing the Burnley loanee to round the 'keeper and slice home from a narrow angle.

On Saturday, defending champions Bayern Munich play away at Bavarian neighbours Augsburg, while Borussia Dortmund host Union Berlin on Sunday.

Hamburg's slim hopes of a comeback were quashed when Gocholeishvili was sent off, leaving the hosts waiting at least another year for their first top-flight victory over St Pauli since 2002.

F.Jackson--ThChM