A high-stakes Bundesliga takedown pitting St Pauli against Holstein Kiel in what promises to be a make-or-break encounter at the Millerntor-Stadion between two teams fighting to beat the drop. This will be an important six-pointer on Friday night.
St Pauli: They are 16th with 8 points and sit in the relegation playoff spot. Their recent 2-0 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach showed their defensive vulnerabilities.
Holstein Kiel: They lie in 17th place with just 5 points and were outclassed 3-0 by Mainz 05 in their last outing, and now face the uphill task of clawing their way out of the automatic relegation spots.
Match Preview
St Pauli
The hosts are looking to bounce back from their disappointing display against Borussia Monchengladbach. St Pauli did improve in the second half, but the damage was already done, and manager Alexander Blessin highlighted the importance of a better start.
Despite their poor form—losing four of their last six games—St Pauli’s defensive record is better than many of their relegation rivals. However, scoring remains a significant challenge, especially at home, where they are yet to register a win or goal in five attempts this season.
Holstein Kiel
Holstein Kiel come into this match off the back of a pretty meek performance against Mainz. Manager Marcel Rapp slammed his side for a lack of effort, saying they need to show 100% commitment going forward.
With 28 goals conceded, Kiel has the second-worst defensive record in the Bundesliga. Their away form gives little cause for encouragement as well, with just one win in their last six road games. Scoring chances have been few and far between recently, and they’ll require a much better offensive performance if they are to take anything against St Pauli.
Recent Form
St Pauli Bundesliga Form: LLDWLL
St Pauli All Competitions: LDLWLL
Team News
St Pauli
Out: Goalkeepers Sascha Burchert, Ben Alexander Voll, and Soren Ahlers; forwards Elias Saad, Conor Metcalfe, Simon Zoller, and Scott Banks.
Defensive Absences: Adam Dzwigala and Karol Mets are out until mid-December.
Midfield: Robert Wagner remains sidelined.
Predicted Lineup:
Formation: 3-4-3
Key Players: Nikola Vasilj (GK), Jackson Irvine (MF), Johannes Eggestein (FW).
Starting XI: Vasilj; Wahl, Smith, Nemeth; Saliakas, Irvine, Boukhalfa, Treu; Afolayan, Eggestein, Guilavogui.
Holstein Kiel
The visitors also have their share of injuries:
Out: Forwards Alexander Bernhardsson and Andu Yobel Kelati (Kelati close to recovery).
Defensive Absences: Carl Johansson and Colin Kleine-Bekel.
Predicted Lineup:
Formation: 3-5-2
Key Players: Steven Skrzybski (FW), Lewis Holtby (MF).
Starting XI: Weiner; Ivezic, Erras, Geschwill; Becker, Holtby, Knudsen, Remberg, Puchacz; Harres, Skrzybski.
Prediction: St Pauli 0-0 Holstein Kiel
This game is likely to be cagey, with neither side willing to commit too much. St Pauli’s struggles in front of goal and Holstein Kiel’s poor away form could see the teams cancel each other out.
Neither side has shown attacking firepower for dominance, so a draw seems the most probable outcome.
