A tactical surprise from Marcel Rapp sealed FC St. Pauli's 1-0 home victory over VfL Wolfsburg. The home coach deployed his team in a back four for the first time in nearly four years, effectively neutralising Wolfsburg's attacking threat.
The late winning goal by Joel Chima Fujita in the 88th minute was the logical consequence of a well-thought-out game plan. Rapp assigned specific defensive duties to several players to shut down space for the visitors. The St. Pauli coach said after the match that his team wanted to stay compact and control the central areas. The tactic worked perfectly, as Wolfsburg struggled to create clear chances.
The impact on the standings
With the loss in Hamburg, Wolfsburg missed a chance to put pressure on the leading pack in the 2. Bundesliga. Niko Kovač's team remains in 5th place with 8 points from 5 games, now 5 points behind leaders 1. FC Nürnberg. Their record from the last five matches shows solid but unspectacular form with two wins, two draws and one defeat.
The next test comes quickly on Friday with a home match against relegation-threatened SV Darmstadt 98. The full schedule for the second half of the season can be found on our fixtures page. For his lineup, Kovač will have to consider the options within the current squad.
The tactical lesson in Hamburg interrupted a run of high-scoring but erratic performances. The goal-filled 4-4 draw against Energie Cottbus was now followed by a goalless away display. The defence, which has conceded goals this season, showed discipline, but the lack of a decisive goal for a point is costly. A look at the current standings shows how tight the mid-table situation is.
