FC St. Pauli

"I felt very much at home in Dresden and had a good time there," he said at Sunday's pre-match press conference. "The fact that in Uwe Neuhaus a good friend of mine is in charge there now makes it a bit more special." The new head coach is looking forward to the game for other reasons as well. "It's a night game under floodlights at the Millerntor," he continued. "I've known the atmosphere for six months now. It's something you simply have to look forward to."

In addition to long-term absentees Ryo Miyaichi and Philipp Ziereis, Janssen will also be without Yiyoung Park, who picked up a thigh injury in the friendly against Stoke City. Otherwise, the St. Pauli boss has a full squad to choose from. As for his starting lineup, Janssen is keeping his cards close to his chest, of course. "It may be the case that we'll change something, but we don't have to," he told the disappointed journalists with a slight smile on his face.

One thing that is certain is that Dresden will provide tough opposition. "They lost quality during the summer, that's true, but their football doesn't depend on individuals," said Janssen. "They play with a lot of precision and clarity, so it's very difficult to gain possession against them. They'll definitely test us."

Yet for all the caution in his thinking about Dresden, the head coach is full of excitement going into his first home game at the helm. "The atmosphere here can only lift us," he said. "The happy faces in the crowd when we've won are motivation enough for the players to give their all."

Photo: Witters