FC St. Pauli trials its new starting eleven on Saturday in Babelsberg while the Karl‑Liebknecht‑Stadium celebrates its 50th anniversary. Coach Marcel Rapp uses the match to hand Branimir Hrgota the number 10 shirt and field other newcomers.

What happened in the friendly?

Nordost‑Regionalliga side SV Babelsberg 03 hosted the celebration match, which was nearly sold out. In a relaxed setting St. Pauli won, with the new eleven – Hrgota, Marcus Mathisen (number 6) and Sam Klein (number 22) – collecting their first minutes. Returnees Scott Banks and Erik Ahlstrand swapped back numbers to make room for Taichi Hara (number 18) and Mathias Rasmussen (number 20).

Why does it matter for St. Pauli?

The friendly gives Rapp a chance to test the chemistry of the new attacking players. Hrgota, 33, arrived from Fürth and is expected to add creativity and finishing. "First I need to get to know the lads," the Swede said. The number changes also show the squad is already being shaped for the 2026/27 season – a necessary step given the club’s current competitive situation.

How does this fit the current season?

Currently FC St. Pauli sit on the 18th place in the Bundesliga with 26 points, 6 wins, 8 draws and 20 losses from 34 games, recent form LLLLD. The team has scored 29 goals and conceded 60, a –31 goal difference. They are 63 points behind leaders Bayern München. The next league fixture is an away match against Hannover 96 on 2026-10-17.

What’s next?

After Babelsberg the squad heads to a training camp in Flachau, Austria (July 17‑26). There St. Pauli will face Croatian top‑flight side HNK Gorica on July 19 and Premier‑League club AFC Bournemouth on July 24. The season opener at Millerntor is set for August 1 against Spanish La‑Liga newcomer Deportivo La Coruña. These fixtures serve as further tests for the newly assembled lineup.