FC St. Pauli travel to face Energie Cottbus on Sunday aiming to secure their first away points of the season. The 2. Bundesliga match kicks off at 13:30 CET and represents a key opportunity for Marcel Rapp's side to build on the positive mood from their last victory.
Following the 1-0 home win against VfL Wolfsburg a week ago, the squad is now almost fully available. "The lads who were out last week are all available again," Rapp said in Friday's pre-match press conference. "The only players missing are those with long-term injuries." This stability comes at a good time, with the team sitting ninth in the table with six points from five matches. Their recent form shows a draw, a loss, and a win from the last three outings.
Near-Full Squad
The return of several players gives Rapp tactical flexibility for the trip to face the newly-promoted east German side. Energie Cottbus currently occupy seventh place and will expect a vociferous home support. Rapp anticipates a "white hot" atmosphere that will test his team. St. Pauli's away performances so far this season, two draws and a defeat, have yielded no points, although the coach believes the level of performance has been better than the results suggest.
"We want to give the fans an away win," stated the head coach's clear objective. The team aims to carry forward the morale from the narrow victory over Wolfsburg, where Joel Chima Fujita scored an 88th-minute winner. A look at the standings shows that a win in Cottbus could see them close in on the top half of the table. They currently trail leaders Hertha BSC by nine points.
Recent encounters have been tight. In the 2-2 draw at Bielefeld, Tatsuya Hara and Alieu Ceesay were on target for St. Pauli. The full overview of results and upcoming fixtures is available on our fixtures page. For tactical preparation, the return of recently injured players is a key factor. Rapp can now choose from a full complement and avoid makeshift solutions.
Sunday's match is the next step in consolidating their season. A positive result would improve their away record and further establish the team, with seven goals scored and seven conceded, in a stable mid-table position. Preparations are complete, the squad is ready. Now it's about delivering on the pitch.
First reported at fcstpauli.com
