SVWW narrow defeat to Champions in season finale
Pros |
The final Bundesliga 2 fixture before the winter break is a real cracker for SV Wehen Wiesbaden, who face a trip to FC St. Pauli this Saturday (kick-off 13:00 CET). Read our 'Opposition watch' piece below to find out more about St. Pauli, a slightly alternative yet tradition-steeped club from the far north.
The city: Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany after Berlin, with around 1.8 million inhabitants, and was regarded as one of the leading cities in the Hanseatic League. Which is why Hamburg still bears the name "Hanseatic City" today. In Hamburger SV and FC St. Pauli, the city state is the only place in the Bundesliga 2 with two clubs. When the lights go out across the rest of the city at night, St. Pauli is still very much alive and kicking. The district borders the new town to the west and is known far and wide for its entertainment district, the Reeperbahn.
The stadium: The Millerntor-Stadion is located just a stone's throw away from the Reeperbahn. It is one of the few stadiums in German professional football located in a city centre, as well as being the closest pitch to Hamburg Town Hall. The stadium, which is owned by FCSP, has been able to seat 29,546 spectators since renovation works were finished in 2015.
History: FC St. Pauli were founded on 15 May 1910 but it wasn't until some years later that they developed a rivalry with Hamburg. 1946/47 was the first time the "Kiezkicker" denied their rivals, who are based in the "posh" district of Rothenbaum, the Hamburg City Championship for the first time. FCSP were promoted to the Bundesliga 30 years later but last played in the top tier of German football in the 2010/11 campaign. Since then, they have been a consistent presence in the second division. Furthermore, the club has been making headlines off the pitch for several years due to its social involvement. The "Kiezklub" are big advocates of equality and justice, among other things.
The coach: Jos Luhukay has been the main man in the St. Pauli dugout since April. The Dutchman is not new to professional football in Germany, having previously overseen 200 second-tier games and 110 top-tier matches during his spells as a coach with SC Paderborn, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hertha BSC Berlin and FC Augsburg. The 56-year-old has a remarkable points average of 1.73 per match in the Bundesliga 2.
Personnel matters: Luhukay managed to keep the core of his squad together over the summer but the club did lose two key players in Justin Hoogma, who had been on loan from TSG Hoffenheim, and Jeremy Dudziak, who joined Hamburger SV. Leo Östigard and Viktor Gyökeres both signed on loan from Brighton, as did Matt Penney from Sheffield Wednesday. In addition, Rico Benatelli and Borys Tashchy joined on free transfers from Dresden and Duisburg respectively.
The scenario: St. Pauli started the Bundesliga 2 season in less than optimal fashion but subsequently picked up 12 out of a possible 15 points during a six-game unbeaten run between matchdays 4 and 9. However, the "Kiezkicker" have not racked up a single victory since that purple patch in September and have picked up only two points in total since then. The tradition-steeped club have lost each of their last three matches and currently sit in 15th position in the table, only one point above SVWW.