Promotion hopefuls Union Berlin out to protect strong form
St Pauli come to town
The last game before the international break, Union Berlin will welcome St Pauli to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Saturday November 4 at 13:00. The Köpenick club are able to extend their lead over St Pauli to six points and push closer to the likes of Holstein Kiel and Fortuna Düsseldorf at the top of the league.
“Every game, week after week, is important,” replied coach Jens Keller when asked if there was any special significance around the game. “If we had won in Duisburg, then we’d have gotten closer to the first three. But every week, you can see that it’s not easy to secure the points. That’s why it’s not a special game, but there are of course three important points that we want to keep here. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter what your opponent’s name is.”
With a sell-out crowd at the Alte Försterei, the supporters can expect an exciting, action-packed encounter on the 13th matchday of the campaign. “We are looking forward to Saturday. There will be a great atmosphere in the stadium and we’re playing against a good side,” added Keller, whose side are five games unbeaten in the 2.Bundesliga.
“The game will be a great challenge. I’m looking forward to it,” said St Pauli coach Olaf Jansen about the trip to Berlin. “We want to bring our own DNA to the pitch and not just be friends. When we play deep, we are causing problems. We have to be courageous and self-confident,” added Jansen, who can call upon striker Aziz Bouhaddouz after a spell on the sidelines.
Keller, meanwhile, was keen to praise the qualities of the side from Hamburg: “FC St. Pauli has a lot of quality in the team and has played a good switchover. Forwards they have fast, agile players and I expect they will act from a compact defensive. In the switching game, we have to pay particular attention to the enormous quality and speed of them.”
There are no injury concerns for Union Berlin with the exception of longer-term absentees Atsuto Uchida and Kenny Redondo. The match is a complete sell-out and there will be no tickets available for purchase at the stadium.
Please note: There are no trains running between Ostkreuz and Ostbahnhof due to ongoing construction works.
