FC St. Pauli before skill challenge: departure or relegation battle?

FC St. Pauli before skill challenge: departure or relegation battle?

Once high, once low – the rollercoaster of emotions continues for FC St. Pauli. After a promising start to the season, the club has fallen sharply in the Bundesliga and has recently had to deal with a negative series of six defeats in a row. Before the landmark game against SC Freiburg, which threatens to end in a relegation mess, the signs point to a storm. Loud NDR The current situation threatens to stay in the league.

After a clear 4-0 defeat against Borussia Mönchengladbach last weekend, an internal dialogue took place in the Millerntor Stadium without coach Alexander Blessin being present. Defender and team council member Hauke ​​Wahl spoke to the media and emphasized the seriousness of the situation: “We all have to go the same way,” said Wahl. It is obvious that the cohesion and the “certain mentality” that Blessin demands from his players are now required.

Defensive weaknesses and old memories

Another aspect that poses a challenge for St. Pauli is their defensive weaknesses. This season the team has already conceded 18 goals after nine games - compared to just 41 last season. The offensive team has not scored its own goal in the last four games. Blessin himself admits that the focus so far has been heavily on offense and plans to prioritize defensive stability. Wahl also firmly rejected rumors of interpersonal problems within the team and spoke of solid team chemistry.

The Kiezkickers look back on the game against Freiburg with positive memories: they achieved an impressive 3-0 win in Freiburg last season. Now it's time to take advantage of the opportunities and break out of the negative spiral.

Game preparation and lineups

The lineups for the upcoming game show that both the Freiburg and St. Pauli teams are well positioned. Freiburg is led by goalkeeper Atubolu and midfielder Grifo, among others, while St. Pauli can rely on options like Vasilj and Wahl.

• SC Freiburg: Atubolu, Kübler, Ginter, Lienhart, Günter, M. Eggestein, Osterhage, Treu, Manzambi, Grifo, Matanovic
• FC St. Pauli: Vasilj, Wahl, Smith, Mets, Saliakas, Sands, Fujita, Oppie, Sinani, A. Hountondji, Pereira Lage

A ray of hope could also be the merger of members to form a cooperative that now owns the arena - a step that could strengthen the sense of community. There is also a hot derby against big rivals HSV on December 7th.

The look forward

With the Bundesliga's already set dates for the 2025/26 season in mind, the league is also looking ahead to the winter break, which begins after the 15th matchday. The games will resume on January 9, 2026 Bundesliga.com.

Whether FC St. Pauli will achieve the decisive turning point will be shown in the game against SC Freiburg. The opportunity for a change and a return to old strengths is within reach, but to achieve this all forces involved will have to be mobilized.