St. Pauli: Courageous turnaround needed against strong Eintracht Frankfurt!

St. Pauli: Courageous turnaround needed against strong Eintracht Frankfurt!

After a long dry spell of four defeats in a row, FC St. Pauli is looking forward to an important game against Eintracht Frankfurt. Next Saturday, coach Alexander Blessin's team will try to free themselves from the current crisis and regain the stability they have lost. Blessin highlights Frankfurt's quality, but also points out their defensive weaknesses. Speaking to the press, he stated: “It is crucial that we show courage and make clear decisions on the defensive.”

In order to stabilize the defense, Eintracht coach Dino Toppmöller switched to a three-man chain. Despite this change, Frankfurt was unable to build on its old performance in the last few games. Blessin is aware of this and is counting on his team to take advantage of Frankfurt's speed in counterattack situations. Blessin describes the current mood in the squad as negative, but he sees an opportunity to analyze and regain self-confidence. “We have to work on fine nuances and simple things,” the coach continued.

Stability and physicality are required

St. Pauli did some good defensive work in the last few games, but more is needed to be successful against Frankfurt. Physicality and duels must become the focus of the game again. Blessin has also placed a particular focus on set pieces. For example, in their last meeting with Frankfurt, Liverpool scored two goals from dead balls, which secured them victory. St. Pauli's set pieces expert Danel Sinani will be a key figure for the upcoming game.

The game actually on Saturday ended in a 2-2 draw, which shows that St. Pauli defended in a disciplined manner for over 90 minutes. Frankfurt, on the other hand, was often unable to convince and acted without ideas. The draw means that Frankfurt will have to fight for Champions League qualification on the final day of the match, while St. Pauli has virtually secured relegation in the league. Luckily, the Kiezkicker had a strong first half and led 2-1 at halftime.

A nerve-wracking finish

The game continued to develop dramatically: In the second half, Frankfurt pushed for an equalizer, but St. Pauli held off with strong defensive stability. A goal from Batshuayi was disallowed due to handball and a chance from Kristensen also went just wide. Finally, it was Chaibi who equalized after St. Pauli lost the ball in a careless moment. The game ended with a remarkable six minutes of added time in which both teams were still fighting for victory.

The referee Christian Dingert, who officiated his 200th Bundesliga game, didn't have an easy time of it in this heated game. St. Pauli now seems to be on the right track, but the challenge remains to maintain stability and not lose sight of the upcoming season in the Bundesliga. We can only hope that the Kiezkickers follow in Liverpool's footsteps and work on their strengths in order to be successful in the next games.