Ironically, before the derby highlight against HSV, FC St. Pauli finally arrived in crisis. After the bitter 1:2 (0:0) last-minute defeat at Eintracht Braunschweig and seven games in a row without a win, the Kiezkicker are stuck in the relegation zone of the 2nd Bundesliga.
Substitute captain Eric Smith (25) nevertheless fled to the front. Now on Friday (6.30 p.m. / Sky) leaders Hamburger SV, who left two points in the 1-1 draw against 1. FC Kaiserslautern, should feel all the frustration and also the ambition of the St. Paulians.
“A derby is exactly what we need at the moment. It’s the best game you can have after a defeat like this,” said the defensive midfielder. And verbally went on the offensive: “We’ll try to get the momentum on our side.”
Statistics speak for the brown and white
After four years together in the 2nd division, the statistics (4 wins, 2 draws, 2 defeats) speak in favor of the brown-whites, but the current form clearly favors the red pants. After all, HSV has won all of their last eight away games across the season.
At home, however, things are a bit snagged: The only defeats from the last 16 games against Rostock (0:1) and Darmstadt (1:2) came at the Volksparkstadion. On Saturday evening, HSV was ahead by a long way against a newly promoted Kaiserslautern through Robert Glatzel (24th minute). Then Sonny Kittel missed a penalty kick (81st). In return, Lex Lobinger (82nd) scored for FCK and snatched the sixth win in a row from HSV, breaking a club record from 1978/79.
Nevertheless, HSV leads the table with 25 points ahead of Darmstadt 98 (24), who beat pursuers Fortuna Düsseldorf (17) 1-0, and SC Paderborn (22), who won 3-0 at Hansa Rostock. That his HSV blundered this time, felt Walter as “shit”, as he admitted to Sport1. “I’m pissed that we didn’t close the sack, but what doesn’t kill us toughens us up.” When asked how he thinks that HSV is at the top after a third of the season, he said quick-wittedly: “We want to stay up there.”
On the other hand, he didn’t want to know “anything yet” about the derby. Goal scorer Glatzel, who described the performance against FCK as “significantly insufficient”, said: “The derby win must come, that’s clear.” In any case, HSV meets an opponent who has probably never gone into a city duel as battered as this time.
Pauli without security despite leadership in Braunschweig
In Braunschweig, too, the lead through Manolis Saliakas’ long-range goal (68th), which is well worth seeing, gave the Kiezkickers neither great security nor new self-confidence. On the contrary: against the Hanseatic League, who were badly weakened after the early double failure of defense chief David Nemeth and midfielder Jackson Irvine (9th), the match winner Immanuel Pherai (78th / 90th 3), who only came on after the 0: 1, turned the match around completely. Also because St. Pauli again had far too little to counter offensively.
The frustrated coach Timo Schultz was “absolutely” angry about the unnecessary bankruptcy. After the missed promotion in spring and the loss of important players in summer, there is now a sporting crisis in autumn. Two years ago, FC St. Pauli lost a very similar game in Braunschweig and was even penultimate. At that time Schulz was allowed to stay, rebuilt the team in winter, managed a big upswing until the autumn champions in 2021 – and even defeated the big rival HSV twice in a row.
