FC St. Pauli face a tactical puzzle for their away match at Hannover 96 on Saturday night. It marks the first managerial duel between Marcel Rapp and Sandro Wagner, who have never faced each other as head coaches.

Rapp said of his counterpart: "As a coach, I don't know him at all or very little." The 47-year-old must prepare his team, who are on a run of five league games without defeat, for an unfamiliar opponent. Wagner only recently took over at Hannover and lost his debut 3-0 to 1. FC Magdeburg. The 38-year-old is nonetheless looking forward to the occasion. "There is nothing better for footballers than floodlights in the evening in front of a sold-out house," Wagner said.

Form and table

FC St. Pauli travel to Hannover with good confidence. Marcel Rapp's team have taken ten points from a possible 15 in their last five matches. The record is two wins and three draws. The most recent victory was a 2-0 home win against Karlsruher SC six days ago, with goals from Abdoulie Ceesay and Lars Ritzka. Ceesay is currently the team's top scorer this season with three goals.

In the 2. Bundesliga, FC St. Pauli sit seventh with ten points from seven games. The team has scored ten goals and conceded eight. They trail leaders Hertha BSC by twelve points. Their next opponents Hannover 96 are 13th with seven points. The full standings show a tight mid-table.

The Hartel factor

The match has an added subplot due to Marcel Hartel. The 30-year-old midfielder moved from St. Louis City in the USA to Hannover 96 in the summer of 2026. Prior to that, he was a key figure in FC St. Pauli's promotion to the Bundesliga in 2024. His knowledge of his former team's strengths and weaknesses could be an advantage for the hosts.

The match at the Heinz von Heiden Arena kicks off on Saturday, 17 October, at 20:30. It will be broadcast live on free-to-air TV on NITRO, with coverage starting at 20:15 hosted by Jana Wosnitza and featuring analysis from Felix Kroos. A live stream is available via RTL+. Sky Sport Bundesliga will also show the game. FC St. Pauli's predicted lineup sees Niklas Voll in goal, with a back three of Bence Nemeth, Eric Smith and Lars Ritzka. In midfield, Marcel Rapp could opt for David Pyrka, Elias Rasmussen, Ao Tanaka and Leandro Oppie. Connor Metcalfe would play as the number ten, supporting strikers Abdoulie Ceesay and Mame Niang. All current squad details are on our squad page.

A win in Hannover would further cement FC St. Pauli's positive run and close the gap to the promotion places. The team has already shown this season they can pick up points on the road, as demonstrated by the 1-1 draw in Cottbus.

First reported at TAG24