1. FC Union Berlin ran out 1-0 winners over FC St. Pauli in their first home game of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season. The only goal of the night came from a fantastic shot by benedict Hollerbach in the 34^th minute

1. FC Union Berlin: Rönnow – Haberer, Doekhi, Vogt, Leite, Rothe (89. Querfeld) – Tousart (67. Schäfer), Khedira – Hollerbach (77. Skarke), Siebatcheu (89. Jeong), Vertessen (67. Bénes) 

FC St. Pauli: Vasilj – Treu, Mets, Smith (40. Dzwigala), Wahl, La. Ritzka (83. Boukhalfa) – R. Wagner (61. Saad), Irvine, Metcalfe – J. Eggestein (83. Albers), Guilavogui (61. Afolayan) 

The starting XI

Bo Svensson started his first home league game of 2024/25 with Frederick Rönnow in goal, behind a back three of Diogo Leite, Kevin Vogt, recovered from his nasty looking knock last week, and Danilho Doekhi, while Janik Haberer and Tom Rothe, making his competitive debut for the club, as left and right wing-backs respectively.

Rani Khedira and Lucas Tousart were in midfield, while Svensson opted for pace and strength up top, with Yorbe Vertessen, back in the starting lineup, and Benedict Hollerbach joining Jordan Siebatcheu.

Attendance: 22,012 

Goals: 1-0 Hollerbach (34.) 

Hollerbach lights up the night skies

The atmosphere boiled in the Alte Försterei for the first home game of the season, and the first ever top-flight meeting of Union and Pauli. It was a fitting setting, with the floodlights shining, and as a huge choreo appeared across the Waldseite at kick off like a mayfly, an image of Köpenick with FCU emblazoned across the middle, as tall as a house, there one moment, gone the next.

And if the tension in the stands was high, it was matched on the pitch where Union had to show the solidity that would define parts of their game. Leite and Khedira both won tackles – indeed, the Portuguese made three in the first four minutes, all timed impeccably – but they also took the time to stroke the ball about their own half.

The plan was clear, to break at pace, and they did just that as the indomitable Hollerbach immediately got the best of Philipp Treu, whipping in a ball towards Jordan in the box.

Jordan dragged a shot wide of the Pauli goal with his right having taken a couple of menacing steps forward after five minutes before Vertessen won a free kick off Robert Wagner, the ball 25 yards out, on a diagonal to the corner of the box. He then let fly with a volley, the ball arrowing inches over Nikola Vasilj’s goal.

Back at the other end Rothe, making his first competitive start, scooped away Johannes Eggestein’s shot on the turn after the ball was given away in the Union box. Leite cleared up the danger with he and centre-forward Morgan Guilavogui looming ominously a moment later. Eggestein was dangerous, and drove wide after 17 minutes, though Rönnow seemed to have his back post covered as the shot zipped along the ground, despite the deflection it took off Doekhi along the way.

Soon after, Eggestein looked disappointed not to have got more on the ball as he volleyed it straight at Rönnow, dropping over his shoulder.

But Union, too, had caused problems as the half wore on. Vertessen and Hollerbach were interchanging behind Jordan at pace. He was constantly pushing, playing often with his back to goal as a true target man, and saw the ball flick off his shoulder into the grateful arms of Vasilj after Vertessen’s cleverly worked, deep swinging corner that Tousart knocked down for Hollerbach and on.

Tousart then shot at Vasilj, having been set up by Jordan and Hollerbach, not able to get any power on his shot as he stretched for a ball that wouldn’t quite sit up for him. He got more on a stinging drive after half an hour that was parried wide.

Rothe meanwhile was up and down the left, winning a huge header from Rönnow’s long ball; hitting a fine one himself over top that was just out of Hollerbach’s reach as he slipped in behind Hauke Wahl after half an hour.

But it was Hollerbach who would open the scoring.  After 34 minutes, following Vertessen's cleared corner, he hit a wicked shot with his right through the crowd, the ball bouncing once, from just outside the box. It was a blistering, emphatic finish - and no more than he deserved - and he roared away in celebration.

Union were now terrorising the Pauli back line, Rothe almost tee-ed Jordan up from the left hand side, before Hollerbach forced both Lars Ritzka and Karol Mets to stop him, daring them as he flickered menacingly towards goal; and the roar that greeted Rönnow’s huge catch from Treu’s deep free kick shook the stadium to its foundations.

The second half remains goalless, Union take the points

Union started the second half equally brightly. Hollerbach toyed with Ritzka while Khedira won a corner off the same man a minute later, the set-piece flicked over from the head of Tousart. Wahl timed his slide well to stop Jordan in his tracks as he looked to turn inside the 18-yard box.

Then Leite thought it was his turn for a moment. He had been superb at the back, but suddenly found himself way up in the guest’s half as Union had a throw-in near the byline. He took the ball past Robert Wagner like a number ten, bending a shot just past the left-hand top corner. He would hit a lovely first-time ball out to Haberer on the right after almost an hour, the makeshift right-back volleying it dangerously back across goal as Union threw everything at Pauli, towards a Waldseite now shrouded in eddying grey smoke, scarves swinging together, bawling as one.

But it wasn’t all singing and dancing for the Portuguese, and he was more than equal to Jackson Irvine’s low cross, back in the perfect position in his own box, after an hour. His partner, Doekhi, too did well, hitting the ball out for a throw when it looked suddenly to be fizzing into no-mans-land between him and Rönnow.

It was after 66 minutes that Svensson made his first changes, bringing Andras Schäfer and László Bénes on for Vertessen and Tousart – they’d be joined by Tim Skarke, on for the goalscorer, Hollerbach soon enough - but Pauli were dragging themselves back into the contest now.

Ritzka flashed a shot across the box at the other end, not long after Connor Metcalfe had seen his header fly wide of Rönnow’s goal. Haberer did wonderfully to get in ahead of Elias Saad, while again Leite was there to clear with his head with 15 minutes to play. Wahl then caught a volley, falling backwards, that flew just wide of Rönnow’s right hand post.

It was all hands on deck, as Schäfer and Skarke both chased back, winning balls in their own half, but Schäfer particularly looked keen to impress going forwards, gliding past Irvine as if the Australian international wasn’t there at all. He was everywhere and stopped Saad as he looked primed to pull the trigger right on the edge of the box with eight minutes of normal time to play. His challenge on Treu on the halfway line was robust and determined.

Still Pauli strived towards goal. “We need to create more scoring chances, need more courage with the ball and have to press more effectively,” was Hollerbach’s verdict after the final whistle, and Oladapo Afolayan blasted over the bar having found an inch of space, but Union remained resolute and composed at the back, and Svensson made his final changes with two minutes to play, bringing on Leopold Querfeld and the debutant, Wooyeong Jeong, for Jordan and Rothe.

With the final touch of the game Rönnow held Afolayan’s shot, diving to his left as it flew across the turf. The keeper was cautiously happy after the final whistle, if not as exuberant as his fans, saying what an “important first win here at home” it was. “I think we played very well in the first half in particular,” he continued, “and were aggressive with the ball. We let up a little after the break... Now we have to analyse how we can do better."

He was echoed by his boss, Svensson, who said  ‘We won, didn't concede a goal and have four points after two matchdays. Nevertheless, there is a list of things we need to improve."

The Alte Försterei cared little, and erupted on the final whistle. It had been a rousing return to league action at home.