Kaiserslautern ended a run of draws with a 2-1 win at St. Pauli in the 2. Bundesliga's third round at the Millerntor-Stadion on Sunday. The visitors took the lead just after the interval and never looked back, leaving the home side still searching for their first victory of the campaign.
E. Yardimci gave the hosts an early advantage at the 29th minute, but Kaiserslautern struck back immediately after the break. T. Tazemeta scored twice in consecutive minutes, 46 and 47, before A. Ceesay added a third at 56 to put the result beyond doubt.
The match was never far from a card. D. Nemeth went into the book at 38, and M. Mathisen collected two yellows in quick succession at 41 and 42. Kaiserslautern's I. Kanate was booked twice, at 64 and 65, while F. Kunze, J. Rasmussen, M. Sauer, T. Lieberknecht, and T. Ando also saw yellow cards, along with an unnamed booking in the 90th minute.
St. Pauli dominated possession with 58 per cent and launched 139 attacks, yet their 14 shots yielded just one goal. They registered 7 shots on target and 7 off target, with an expected goals figure of 1.34. Kaiserslautern managed only 76 attacks with 42 per cent possession, but their 8 shots produced 4 on target and 4 off, reflecting a more efficient approach.
By then the visitors had accumulated 11 tackles and 8 interceptions, while the hosts had 24 tackles and 10 interceptions. St. Pauli completed 415 passes from 515 attempts, compared with Kaiserslautern's 268 from 366. The hosts won 21 aerial duels to the visitors' 15, but it was the away side's clinical edge that mattered.
The result leaves St. Pauli bottom of the table with 2 points from 3 matches, having drawn twice and lost once. Kaiserslautern move up to 6th place on 5 points, with 1 win and 2 draws. The home side's recent form has been inconsistent, while the visitors have shown resilience in their draws before this breakthrough.
