After victories in their friendlies against Hansa Rostock and FC St. Gallen, 1. FC Union Berlin will play their last match before the Christmas break tomorrow, Wednesday, 21.12.2022, against second-division side FC St. Pauli. Kick off in the Alte Försterei is at 13:00.

The opponents

Despite a bright start, which brought them four points from two games, Pauli have endured a somewhat torrid first half of the season. They are currently in fifteenth in the 2. Bundesliga.

The Hamburg "kiezkickers" have only managed two more victories since then, though one of these was a 3-0 hammering of eternal rivals Hanburger SV. But that total of only three wins is the lowest in the league. It is small recompense to know they have , alongside Fürth and Kaiserslautern, the most draws in the league, with eight. 

Pauli were also knocked out of the Cup by SC Freiburg, losing 2-1 after extra time. 

FCSP's top scorer is currently centre-forward Johannes Eggestein with five goals, followed by Marcel Hartel, Lukas Daschner and Australian World Cup player Jackson Irvine with three goals each. The game against Union will prove an important test for them, too, as head coach Timo Schultz, previously a long-time player at St. Pauli, was controversially dismissed at the beginning of December and has been replaced on an interim basis by former number two, Fabian Hürzeler.

The reunion

For Unioner, there will be fond memories brought back by the sight of one former player. Marcel Hartel, who played in Köpenick from summer 2017 to summer 2019. With a total of 60 appearances in the red and white jersey, he was one of the heroes of the club's promotion campaign and played in both games of the relegation play-off against VfB Stuttgart.

His bicycle kick against 1. FC Köln in January 2019, with which he won Goal of the Month, remains utterly unforgettable for its acrobatic skill, and its mixture of balance and technique. None who were there will ever forget it, and with good reason it was ultimately named "Goal of the Year".

Service info

The stadium An der Alten Försterei opens at 12:00. AFTV will broadcast the match live and free of charge. As usual, Union will also provide information on the match via the club's own live ticker, as well as in English on Twitter.

Tickets for the match are already available online for Union members. Each member can purchase up to four tickets. However, due to preparations for the next day's Weinachtsingen, only seats in the main stand are available. The ticket price is €12.

Children under 12 years of age enjoy free admission, but require a corresponding free ticket. One free ticket can be booked per full-paying ticket.