After a clear win against Hertha BSC, leaders FC St. Pauli now have ten points more than third place in the table and are getting closer and closer to promotion to the Bundesliga.
After a convincing performance, Hamburg won 2-0 (2-0) on Sunday (March 10, 2024) against largely harmless Berliners, who slipped to eleventh place in the table in the 2nd Bundesliga.
Coach Fabian Hürzeler, who agreed to a new contract with St. Pauli last week after tough negotiations, was very happy with his team, which never left any doubt about the winner.
Goalkeeper Ernst is out at short notice
At Hertha, Marius Gersbeck moved into goal because Tjark Ernst had to miss the game at short notice due to muscular problems. There was almost a second short-term loss because Haris Tabakovic suddenly lay down on the grass while warming up and held his knee.
But it was only a short pain. The goalscorer was on the pitch at kick-off in the sold-out stadium at Millerntor with 30,000 spectators.
Saliakas and Hartel score before the break
Tabakovic also had a reasonably good chance, but that was the only one for Berlin before the break. St. Pauli was the dominant and clearly better team. She performed completely differently than the week before, when there was a deserved defeat at FC Schalke 04.
However, two goals in the first half were almost not enough for Hamburg. The first goal was a bit lucky. Toni Leistner deflected a tight low shot from Manolis Saliakas, so Gersbeck had no chance (16th).
Things looked different when Marcel Hartel made it 2-0, scoring his twelfth goal of the season in the 44th minute. The low shot hit the first post and Gersbeck looked bad.
Hertha more active in the second half
Hertha’s coach Pal Dárdai made three changes in the second half, including the injured Tabakovic. The Berliners, who had conceded the 2-2 draw against Holstein Kiel the previous week thanks to a questionable penalty deep in stoppage time, became more active as a result. However, there were no good chances to endanger St. Pauli.
The leader confidently maintained his lead over time. However, the success was marred a bit because central defender Karol Mets had to be replaced with an injury ten minutes before the final whistle.
St. Pauli now in Nuremberg, Hertha against Schalke
FC St. Pauli continues the game at 1. FC Nürnberg on Saturday (March 16, 2024). Hamburg will then have to do without Saliakas, the goal scorer, because he is suspended because of his fifth yellow card. Hertha welcomes FC Schalke 04 on Sunday.