TOUGH ASK AT BOCHUM AS FCSP AIM TO STAY IN CONTENTION AT THE TO
Sunday, 09. December 2018, 19:13 Uhr
Three away points are at stake for the final time in 2018 as the Boys in Brown go up against VfL Bochum on Monday evening (2030 CET). After three draws in succession, a point is the minimum target in the quest to distance Bochum in the chasing pack.
For many, many years, St. Pauli fans protested against Monday night games, expressing their anger over the hostile kick-off time at the start of the week through banners such as "We don’t like Mondays". Last week, it was announced that Monday night football would be a thing of the past from the start of the 2021/22 season. There are still 2 ½ years to go until then, however, and so the Boys in Brown will still have to contest the odd game on a Monday, as is the case tomorrow at VfL Bochum.
"We don’t like Mondays" is not something that can be said in terms of the team’s performances on the pitch, however, as the Brown-and-Whites haven’t lost on the opening day of the week for over two years, stringing together four wins and three draws since the 1-0 reverse at Würzburg in November 2016. On their last Monday night outing, a late strike from Sami Allagui secured a 1-0 victory at MSV Duisburg.
Under new boss Robin Dutt, who took charge in mid-February, Bochum have got firmly back on track. No other second-division team has garnered more points at home since then, and Bochum have also registered the highest number of victories (13) in 2018. Hot on their heels are the Boys in Brown, however, who this season have achieved a win and a point more than the Ruhr outfit, who for their part are unbeaten in seven. Both chasing teams go into the game looking to stay in touch with the top three, then.
"Bochum are aiming to stay in contention and so are we, of course. We go to Bochum determined to get a result,” said Johannes Flum, who is back from illness and a one-match ban along with Mats Mœller Dæhli, who was substituted in the home game Dresden after banging his knee. Markus Kauczinski, who has been at the helm for just over a year now, will have to make do without Daniel Buballa, Marvin Knoll, Christopher Buchtmann and Richard Neudecker, however.
The home side have injury problems of their own to contend with. Robin Dutt has seven players missing, including former St. Pauli man Sebastian Maier (rehab after groin surgery), Chung Yong Lee (suspended) and Robbie Kruse (groin). A question mark also hangs over goalkeeper Manuel Riemann (groin).
Photo: Witters
