When a match like this one is coming to an end you start contemplating how best to summarize it. Was it be more about the defense lines being rock solid and highly attentive or more about the attackers being sloppy and passing the ball too hastily? Could it be considered as one of those scoreless games that were a lot better than the result gives away? And what did it mean for Union?

At the end of this match, people probably leaned towards counting this as a lucky point for Union. Nobody knew it would be Groundhog Day for St. Pauli all over again. The Hamburg boys were quite strong in the first half, where they were denied a penalty as well as an offside goal, and had a few dangerous moments in the second half as well. All of this while Union didn’t manage to play a whole lot of precise attacking passes. Most of the attempts to create danger were too obvious, except for one moment of confusion 16 minutes in when first Sebastian Polter missed Akaki Gogia’s cross and then Marcel Hartel’s shot was saved.

The Alte Försterei was full to the brim at 22,012 and both fan groups sang their usual songs, but in a relaxed way – people were also enjoying the crisp but sunny fall day. Tensions on the pitch started in minute 34 when Hamburg’s Sami Allagui fell in the box and wanted a penalty.

Union could not have complained if he had gotten it. But instead he was rewarded with a yellow card from the referee and with noisy jeers from the stands that continued whenever he was near the ball. The former Hertha striker was also the one to put the ball in the back of the net five minutes later but was called offside – this time the decision was correct. The boys in red and white welcomed the relieving half-time whistle.

The second half started fairly balanced but St. Pauli soon took a more active part again: Sami Allagui was called offside three more times, but also had two huge opportunities at the hour mark that included a massive Jakob Busk save as well as the ball bouncing off the crossbar after his header.

Jens Keller reacted and put in three new players within a very short time. It didn’t help with the sloppy passing, but Union were at least more active and had a few shots or headers on goal, though none of them gave the St. Pauli fans much of a scare.

Union wanted to force their luck and lacked patience – St. Pauli easily picked up the ball when a pass went astray or when an Union player just tried to rush past a defender. Sebastian Polter was in good hands with Pauli’s Christopher Avevor. But the Hamburg team also seemed to be out of ideas, their high crosses were time and again easily plucked out of the air by Toni Leistner’s headers.

The referee had announced two minutes of stoppage time, and these were almost over. So yeah, people probably started to consider this to be a lucky point, a decent 0:0 given the circumstances. They settled for the draw and were just taking in that last free kick, one that not every referee would have given by the way. Christopher Trimmel took it. He had been quite active, initiated most of Union’s attacks on the right flank, though his crosses mostly ended up in the middle of nowhere. But this free-kick hit the mark: Sebastian Polter’s head met it in the air and directed it into the back of the net from about six yards out. So much for settling for a draw!

The well guarded striker made the difference despite Pauli’s best efforts to take him out of the game. Patience and perseverance after all. So yes, this was a very intense 0:0, except Union won and instead of taking home one lucky point, they bag three!

But wait a minute – an almost scoreless home game against St. Pauli with a Sebastian Polter surprise goal right at the end? This turned out to be another Groundhog Day for St. Pauli at the Alte Försterei where the same scenario occurred about 2.5 years ago. Read more about that and other past Union vs. St. Pauli matches in our blast from the past article.

Up next: Union will return to league action in Heidenheim two weeks from now. During the international break, the club will host Danish side AC Horsens on November 9, 6pm at the Alte Försterei.