Preview: 1. FC Union Berlin v. FC St. Pauli
Stadion an der Alten Försterei, Berlin
Sunday, August 26
7:30 a.m. EDT, 13:30 CEST
- Referee: Sven Jablonski
- This Match, Last Year: Union 1 - 0 St. Pauli
- All-Time in All Competitions: 10 Union wins, 7 St. Pauli wins, 6 draws
- Union Berlin's League Form: D-L-W-W // W-D
- St. Pauli's League Form: L-W-W-L // W-W
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| Sebastian Andersson celebrates equalizing at Köln. Source: Union Berlin. |
Caveats of it's only August aside, Union have done pretty much all you could ask of them so far this season: they left it late but won at home over Aue, then snatched a draw at Köln in what may theoretically be their hardest league fixture of the season, then dispatched Carl Zeiss Jena in the first round of the DFB-Pokal.
But now we get back to the league and a visit from top of the table St. Pauli to Alte Försterei before a trip to Sandhausen next week and an international break to follow. Die Kiezkicker are the only side with a 100% record in the league this season, but they stumbled on the road in the Pokal last week and simultaneously lost their striker to injury.
It's hard to focus on point targets in August, but home form is critical for any promotion hopeful. Union dropped 23 points at home last year (seven draws and three losses, with just seven wins.) They finished nine points behind Kiel for the third place play-off spot and 13 points back of promoted Nürnberg.
You've got to win your home games.
Team News
Out: Mees (thigh,) Polter (Achilles,) Schönheim (knee)
Doubts: Kroos (head,) Torrejón (calf,) Abdullahi (match fitness)
No major changes on the injury front for Union, though Felix Kroos might be a doubt, having left Union's cup tie at Jena on Sunday with a head injury; Urs Fischer said he trained fine this week, however. Marc Torrejón has been absent to start the season with a calf problem, but is back in training, and Joshua Mees has not been available since coming off the bench against Aue; he's got a thigh problem and is still short of fitness
Of course, this week's discussion of the squad should actually revolve around the newcomers, as Union brought in Suleiman Abdullahi and Robert Žulj, both on loan from Eintracht Braunschweig and Hoffenheim, respectively. Abdullahi had been shopped around to a number of clubs over the summer and, up until last week, it had sounded like Union had concerns over his fitness. Žulj on the other hand, following preseason at Hoffenheim, realized he would be on the periphery of the squad and comes to Union for playing time.
This, of course, now leaves Union with a million billion attacking options. While I don't believe Abdullahi is match fit, Žulj might slide right into the slot usually occupied by Kroos (or Marcel Hartel in recent games.) Once Abdullahi and Sebastian Polter are fit, it's hard to figure out where to put everyone to keep them happy. There are worse problems to have, of course.
Predicted XI: Gikiewicz, Trimmel, Parensen, Friedrich, Reichel, Schmiedebach, Prömel, Žulj, Hedlund, Gogia, Andersson.
As for the visitors, St. Pauli will be without long-term injured Marc Hornschuh (herniated disc) and Jan-Philipp Kalla (pubic bone infection?! oh dear Lord,) though they also lost Sami Allagui to a rib injury in their cup tie last Friday.
Okay, okay, I Googled this pubic bone thing and it's described as a "noninfectious inflammation" but still, I'm in pain just thinking about it.
Out: Mees (thigh,) Polter (Achilles,) Schönheim (knee)
Doubts: Kroos (head,) Torrejón (calf,) Abdullahi (match fitness)
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| New guyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, yeah! Source: Union Berlin. |
Of course, this week's discussion of the squad should actually revolve around the newcomers, as Union brought in Suleiman Abdullahi and Robert Žulj, both on loan from Eintracht Braunschweig and Hoffenheim, respectively. Abdullahi had been shopped around to a number of clubs over the summer and, up until last week, it had sounded like Union had concerns over his fitness. Žulj on the other hand, following preseason at Hoffenheim, realized he would be on the periphery of the squad and comes to Union for playing time.
This, of course, now leaves Union with a million billion attacking options. While I don't believe Abdullahi is match fit, Žulj might slide right into the slot usually occupied by Kroos (or Marcel Hartel in recent games.) Once Abdullahi and Sebastian Polter are fit, it's hard to figure out where to put everyone to keep them happy. There are worse problems to have, of course.
Predicted XI: Gikiewicz, Trimmel, Parensen, Friedrich, Reichel, Schmiedebach, Prömel, Žulj, Hedlund, Gogia, Andersson.
As for the visitors, St. Pauli will be without long-term injured Marc Hornschuh (herniated disc) and Jan-Philipp Kalla (pubic bone infection?! oh dear Lord,) though they also lost Sami Allagui to a rib injury in their cup tie last Friday.
Okay, okay, I Googled this pubic bone thing and it's described as a "noninfectious inflammation" but still, I'm in pain just thinking about it.
Current Form
Both sides have started the 2. Bundesliga campaign well; Union Berlin survived a tricky trip to Köln to remain unbeaten, while St. Pauli are the only club to take all six points available to them, after wins against Magdeburg and Darmstadt. The visitors, however, lost last weekend in the Pokal as they came from behind twice but still fell to Wehen Wiesbaden 3-2 in extra time. Last year, Wiesbaden finished a single point behind Karlsruher for the promotion playoff spot in the 3. Liga. Union dispatched East German rival Carl Zeiss Jena 4-2 two days later.
Union are unbeaten in their last eight matches at Alte Försterei, dating back to a 1-0 loss to Nürnberg on January 26. Of course, the tenor of last spring was marked by Union having to settle for draws in those games instead of wins; Aue, Regensburg, Duisburg, and Heidenheim have all taken a point from East Berlin during this unbeaten run, while Union picked up wins against Düsseldorf, Sandhausen, Bochum, and then Aue to open this season.
Prior to their season opening win at Magdeburg, St. Pauli had not won away from home since February 17 against Ingolstadt, losing at Düsseldorf, Aue, Regensburg, and Duisburg while settling for a draw at relegated Kaiserslautern which, to be fair, is better than Union did in that fixture two weeks earlier.
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| Wiesbaden celebrate one of their three goals against St. Pauli, presumably the winner... Source: Sportschau. |
Union are unbeaten in their last eight matches at Alte Försterei, dating back to a 1-0 loss to Nürnberg on January 26. Of course, the tenor of last spring was marked by Union having to settle for draws in those games instead of wins; Aue, Regensburg, Duisburg, and Heidenheim have all taken a point from East Berlin during this unbeaten run, while Union picked up wins against Düsseldorf, Sandhausen, Bochum, and then Aue to open this season.
Prior to their season opening win at Magdeburg, St. Pauli had not won away from home since February 17 against Ingolstadt, losing at Düsseldorf, Aue, Regensburg, and Duisburg while settling for a draw at relegated Kaiserslautern which, to be fair, is better than Union did in that fixture two weeks earlier.
Match Facts
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| Sebastian Polter's header resulted in some good action faces in this picture, plus all three points from this fixture. Source: BZ Berlin. |
Union have won four straight against St. Pauli and are unbeaten in their last six against the Hamburg side; St. Pauli's last win was a 3-0 victory in Hamburg on October 4, 2014. St. Pauli have not won at Alte Försterei since a 2-0 win on October 28, 2011. So, I guess it's good this match isn't in October... St. Pauli's only other win at Alte Försterei was in the first meeting between the club's, in the first round of 1994/95 DFB-Pokal.
The Referee
The referee is Sven Jablonski, from Bremen. Union have previously had Jablonski on five occasions, winning three, losing one, and drawing one. The last time Jablonski was at Alte Försterei, Union won 2-1 over Sandhausen in April of 2017, though Sebastian Polter was sent off shortly after the hosts took a 2-0 lead. The other four matches came between 2014 and 2015, with wins over Aalen and 1860 Munich, a draw with Arminia Bielefeld, and a loss at home to Greuther Fürth.
In four matches with Jablonski, St. Pauli have a record of two wins, one loss, and one draw. Two of the matches have been DFB-Pokal ties, including their first round loss last year at Paderborn; the other was a 2014 first round win at Optik Rathenow. He also worked St. Pauli's 3-3 draw at Bochum in December of 2014 and a 1-0 win over Würzburger Kickers in April of 2017.
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| Sven Jablonski, pictured here in a suburban neighborhood for some reason. Source: DFB. |
In four matches with Jablonski, St. Pauli have a record of two wins, one loss, and one draw. Two of the matches have been DFB-Pokal ties, including their first round loss last year at Paderborn; the other was a 2014 first round win at Optik Rathenow. He also worked St. Pauli's 3-3 draw at Bochum in December of 2014 and a 1-0 win over Würzburger Kickers in April of 2017.
Around the 2. Bundesliga
- Friday: VfL Bochum v. SV Sandhausen; Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Bochum
- Friday: SV Darmstadt 98 v. MSV Duisburg; Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor, Darmstadt
- Saturday: 1. FC Köln v. Erzgebirge Aue; RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne
- Saturday: SpVgg Greuther Fürth v. SC Paderborn 07; Sportpark Ronhof Thomas Sommer, Fürth
- Saturday: 1. FC Magdeburg v. FC Ingolstadt 04; MDCC-Arena, Magdeburg
- Sunday: SSV Jahn Regensburg v. Holstein Keil; Continental Arena, Regensburg
- Sunday: Dynamo Dresden v. 1. FC Heidenheim; DDV-Stadion, Dresden
- Monday: Hamburger SV v. Arminia Bielefeld; Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
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