Clinical Nürnberg punish wasteful St. Pauli at the Millerntor

Nürnberg ended their four-match winless run in all competitions with an impressive 3-1 victory over St. Pauli at the Millerntor-Stadion.

An unfortunate early own goal from Eric Smith gave Miroslav Klose’s side the lead, but despite St. Pauli dominating large spells of the contest, the hosts struggled to make their opportunities count. Abdoulie Ceesay eventually restored parity in the second half, only for substitute Sigurd Haugen to put Nürnberg back in front before 17-year-old Marc Kornwachs Barjuan sealed the victory in the closing stages.

Nürnberg found themselves under pressure from the opening exchanges, with St. Pauli looking to make their home advantage count. Abdoulie Ceesay came close to opening the scoring inside two minutes, failing to make sufficient contact with a cross from the left, before Joel Chima Fujita sent an effort narrowly over the crossbar shortly afterwards.

Despite the hosts’ promising start, it was Nürnberg who took the lead in the seventh minute through an unfortunate own goal. Julian Justvan drove towards the byline on the right before attempting to cut the ball back into the penalty area, where Eric Smith inadvertently diverted the delivery into his own net.

St. Pauli responded positively and came agonisingly close to equalising in the 17th minute when Louis Oppie struck the crossbar with a powerful effort following a corner. The hosts continued to dominate, with Connor Metcalfe wasting a particularly good opportunity in the 31st minute after finding himself through on goal, only to drag his low finish narrowly wide.

Branimir Hrgota and Ceesay also threatened as the half progressed, but Nürnberg goalkeeper Jan Reichert proved an important figure for the visitors. His best contribution came in stoppage time when he produced an excellent save to deny Ceesay from close range, ensuring Nürnberg maintained their fortunate advantage heading into the break.

St. Pauli continued where they left off after the interval, although Nürnberg initially looked more organised defensively. However, the hosts eventually found the breakthrough they deserved in the 58th minute. After winning possession high up the pitch, it was Arkadiusz Pyrka who collected the ball on the right before delivering a precise low cross into the six-yard box, where Ceesay was on hand to turn home and level the game at 1-1.

Despite the equaliser, it was Klose’s substitutions that would ultimately prove decisive. Having introduced Sigurd Haugen in the 65th minute, the Nürnberg forward needed just six minutes to make his mark. A poor backpass from Oppie allowed Haugen to race through on goal and round Voll, before finishing from an incredibly tight angle to restore the visitors’ advantage in the 71st minute.

St. Pauli attempted to respond but struggled to find a way through Nürnberg’s increasingly organised defence. The visitors continued to frustrate the hosts, with several bookings arriving during a heated closing period as St. Pauli searched for another equaliser.

Nürnberg then put the result beyond doubt in the 90th minute when another substitute Marc Kornwachs Barjuan found the net via a stunning strike to make it 3-1, completing an excellent afternoon for Klose’s side.

The final whistle confirmed a valuable away victory for Nürnberg, ending their four-match winless run in all competitions and strengthening their position in the promotion race. For St. Pauli, meanwhile, the defeat brought an end to their six-game unbeaten run, with their inability to convert a number of excellent first-half opportunities ultimately proving costly.