FC St. Pauli is at the top of the table in the second division after three wins in a row. The next three should follow in the away game in Heidenheim today. But the task is difficult.
For the Kiezkicker, the international break came anything but the right time. Because after the convincing 3-0 win against Dynamo Dresden, Hamburg would have preferred to move on through the league – after 19 points from the first nine games of the season, self-confidence is great. Fans and those responsible hope that this season there will be more sporting results than the disappointing tenth place in the previous series.
AUDIO: FC St. Pauli can dream of promotion (2 min)
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0: 3 in the test at Champions League contenders SC Freiburg
The test match at Bundesliga club SC Freiburg last week showed that the team of coach Timo Schultz is still far from perfect: St. Pauli suffered a clear 3-0 defeat at the opening of the new stadium in Breisgau – albeit with one completely newly thrown together starting XI. “You could see that we simply still have steps ahead of us,” said St. Pauli’s right-back Luca-Milan Zander: “At some point we want to be able to look even better against such opponents.”
Schultz: “Others have the pressure”
Before the guest performance in Heidenheim today (1.30 p.m., in the live center at NDR.de), St. Pauli does not want to be blinded by the general euphoria surrounding the club. “Others have the pressure to want and have to rise,” said Schultz. “We have the luxurious situation of not counting among the heavyweights and favorites.” Work, concentrate on your own performance – that is the motto. “Proclaiming superlatives is not our thing,” said Schultz.
Heidenheim is a strong competitor
The coach sees the table sixth Heidenheim as a strong competitor for the top places. “When the favorites were supposed to be named before the season, I also named Heidenheim. The continuity and the clear handwriting of the squad are a great advantage.” Schultz also praised his colleague Frank Schmidt, who has been training Heidenheim since 2007: “What he has created there is absolutely extraordinary. I don’t want to rule out that Heidenheim’s path will one day lead to the first division.”