FC St. Pauli is grappling with how to assess its form following another setback. The 2. Bundesliga club insists on separating the performance shown from the disappointing result, after the team lost 2-1 to 1. FC Kaiserslautern on the last matchday. This leaves the Hamburg-based club winless after three matchdays in the second division. The record shows two draws and one loss, placing the club 16th in the table with just two points.
How is the club evaluating the first matches?
The sporting leadership of FC St. Pauli sees a discrepancy between what is shown on the pitch and what ends up in the standings. Sporting director Andreas Bornemann (54) and coach Marcel Rapp (45) must find a way to break the negative streak. The team was already eliminated from the DFB-Pokal by third-division side Rot-Weiss Essen and had to cope with Bundesliga relegation last season. The current table underscores the urgency: with 4 goals scored and 5 conceded, the goal difference stands at minus one. The gap to leaders 1. FC Nürnberg is already seven points.
What does coach Marcel Rapp say?
The coach defends his players' work despite the disappointing results. "Up until the 0-1 it was a really good performance from us. For the full 90 minutes the boys gave everything," Rapp said after the defeat to Kaiserslautern. He stressed the need to separate performance from result. "Now it's even more important, especially as a coach, to separate performance and result." Rapp is convinced that consistently good performances must eventually lead to points. The current injury list featuring Gisli Thordarson and Mathias Pereira Lage complicates the task further.
How is the team leadership reacting?
Captain David Nemeth (25) also sees more in the team than the points tally suggests. "We did well and would have deserved the win," analyzed the defender. "In the first three games we haven't played like a team that only gets two points." Alongside Nemeth, goalkeeper Ben Voll (25) and defender Marcus Mathisen (30) are among the experienced core. The entire squad faces the challenge of converting positive play into concrete success. The last three games yielded a loss and two draws, noted as LDD in the form guide.
What are the next steps?
The focus is now entirely on the upcoming task. On Friday, September 4, 2026, FC St. Pauli faces table neighbor Arminia Bielefeld away. The away game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Bielefeld currently occupies tenth place. For FC St. Pauli, it's about finally securing the first season win and stopping the downward trend. All upcoming fixtures are listed in our fixtures page. A week later, on September 12, the home game against VfL Wolfsburg follows. To avoid losing touch with the leading group, points are urgently needed in the coming weeks. The current league standing can be viewed on our standings page at any time.
The analysis of the first weeks paints a clear picture. FC St. Pauli is playing better than its position suggests. But in professional football, only results count in the end. Those in charge must now build the bridge between performance and success. The return of injured players could help provide the necessary squad depth for the demanding season. Information on the personnel situation is available in our squad overview. The next games will show whether the belief in their own strength is justified.
