FC St. Pauli

Head coach Timo Schultz made one adjustment from last week's scoreless draw at Karlsruher SC, Luca Zander replacing Afeez Aremu and slotting in on the right-hand side of the midfield diamond, which meant Rico Benatelli dropped back into the holding position. Schultz opted for Tore Reginiussen in central defence, with Philipp Ziereis, who had been rested against Karlsruhe, beginning on the bench. Paderborn boss Steffen Baumgart made three changes to the side that lost 3-2 at home to Darmstadt in the shape of striker Sven Michel and the two full-backs Jamilu Collins and Frederic Ananou.

The two sides dispensed with the usual opening formalities and looked to attack at pace from the outset. And with just seven minutes gone, the visitors took the lead on the break. Julian Justvan knocked a perfect pass in behind the defence for Chris Führich to slip the ball past Dejan Stojanović with the outside of his foot. James Lawrence tried to clear the ball off the line, but his efforts were in vain.

It continued to ebb and flow, and Paderborn went close on 14 when Christopher Antwi-Adjei curled a shot wide of the right-hand upright from range. At the other end, Omar Marmoush tried his luck from 25 metres, only for Jamilu Collins to get a block in. As Timo Schultz had predicted, the visitors sought to stifle his side's build-up play with their high press. It proved effective, and the Boys in Brown struggled to find an answer or a way through the compact and effective Paderborn rearguard.

The visitors threatened again with a superb individual effort from Dennis Srbeny, who drove forward a good 35 metres before pulling the trigger from just inside the box – his shot fizzed just past the left-hand upright. Six minutes later, referee Robert Schröder pointed to the spot when Michel went down under a challenge from Tore Reginiussen. It went to VAR, and because Michel had been narrowly offside in the lead-up, Schröder revoked his decision.

After a ten-minute lull, the Boys in Brown began to have more success disrupting Paderborn's build-up and were able to take the play into their half more often. SCP keeper Leopold Zingerle was forced to intervene for the first time on 40 when he did well to tip a Leart Paqarada free-kick over the crossbar. Paqarada had another effort blocked moments later before Sebastian Schonlau got in the way of a Guido Burgstaller shot with a last-ditch lunge. Zingerle then held onto a 35 metre free-kick from Rodrigo Zalazar, ensuring the Boys in Brown went in a goal down at half-time.

In the first 45 minutes, Omar Marmoush and Co. struggled against a Paderborn who defended well and posed a constant threat on the break.

Schultz made one change for the second half, Afeez Aremu replacing Luca Zander, who had sustained a cut in a collision with Antwi-Adjei just before the break. The Boys in Brown came flying out of the traps and fashioned a three-against-one almost immediately, but Collins was able to take the ball off Marmoush by the left-hand corner of the box with Burgstaller and Zalazar unmarked in the middle. Two minutes later, the Schultz XI created their best chance of the game to that point when Marmoush collected the ball from Aremu and pulled the trigger from distance. The shot had whip and dip and Zingerle produced an excellent reaction to turn the ball over the top. Zalazar then had a pop from even further out, but his rising drive flew well off target.

It was a much-improved showing from the Schultz XI compared with the first half, but for all their efforts the equaliser would not come. Paderborn remained a threat and carved out two or three half-chances that they were unable to convert against a more resolute home defence. The Boys in Brown responded with a decent attack of their own that saw Zalazar feed Burgstaller, who cut the ball back on the turn for the advancing Benatelli. He stretched to meet it but could not keep his shot down and the ball flew over the top.

At the other end, Stojanović had to stretch to push a Sven Michel chip over the crossbar. Schonlau rose to meet the resulting corner and his header took an awkward bounce that deceived Stojanović slightly, with the result that he was unable to prevent it from crossing the line. Schultz responded with the introduction of Lukas Daschner, Maximilian Dittgen and Simon Makienok for Leart Paqarada, Rico Benatelli and Rodrigo Zalazar as the game entered the final quarter of an hour. But it was Paderborn who had the next chance when substitute Prince Osei Owusu broke down the left channel. He was clean through on goal but could not get the better of Stojanović.

With the clock running down, the Boys in Brown pushed forward but were unable to find a way through a deep-lying Paderborn defence that held its shape well. Owusu squandered two late chances to put the result beyond all doubt, but that was of no import, and it ended 2-0 to the visitors. A run of six matches without defeat had come to an end.

FC St. Pauli

Stojanović - Ohlsson, Reginiussen, Lawrence, Paqarada (Makienok 75') - Benatelli (Daschner 75'), Zander (Aremu 46'), Zalazar (Dittgen 75'), Kyereh (Matanović 89') - Burgstaller, Marmoush

Head coach: Timo Schultz

SC Paderborn 07

Zingerle - Ananou, Hünemeier, Schonlau, Collins - Schallenberg, Führich (Owusu 81'), Justvan (Vasiliadis 58'), Antwi-Adjei (Ingelsson 81') - Michel, Srbeny (Thalhammer 67')

Head coach: Steffen Baumgart

Goals: 0-1 Führich (7'), 0-2 Schonlau (69')

Yellow cards: Aremu, Ohlsson – Hünemeier, Vasiliadis

Referee: Robert Schröder (Hannover)

Photos: Witters