FC St. Pauli

For more than three decades, trips to the Betzenberg were largely fruitless affairs for St. Pauli. The premiere in March 1978 ended in a 2-1 reverse and was followed by nine defeat and just two draws. Fortunes did not change until the final day of the 2013/14 campaign, when the Boys in Brown secured their first three points at Kaiserslautern with a 2-1 win. The following season's encounter finished 2-0, a success that proved immensely important in the successful fight against relegation. Last term, St. Pauli won the corresponding fixture 2-1. No other ground has yielded more points in the last few years. "We always enjoy playing there," said midfielder Christopher Buchtmann, who has featured in all three Betzenberg victories, before the game.

Lienen's side travel to Kaiserslautern buoyed by recent results and four wins on the bounce. The situation going into the game is clear – both teams have 38 points on the board and thus a great chance of moving above the 40-point mark that is usually considered the benchmark for second division survival. "We'll do everything we can to win the game," said striker Aziz Bouhaddouz before the clash with the Red Devils.

The last seven meetings at the "Betze" at this level have produced 23 goals, more than three a game, but with both teams very strong at the back, Friday's encounter is not expected to be a goalfest. Since the scoreless draw in the reverse fixture at the Millerntor, the Boys in Brown have conceded just nine goals on a very successful away run (five wins, one draw, one defeat). And Kaiserslautern, who have taken ten points from their last five games, boast the league's best defensive home record, having conceded a measly three goals in their last 14 games at the Betzenberg.

"We'll have to be very patient and can't allow ourselves to get ruffled," said Buchtmann, setting out the team's line of approach. Patience is an attribute that has been constantly been demanded of the Boys in Brown in recent weeks, starting with the match at Nürnberg and then against Würzburg, Düsseldorf and Heidenheim. All these games were 0-0 at half-time. And all of them ended in wins for us (2-0, 1-0, 3-1 and 3-0).

In a relegation dogfight characterised by teams yo-yoing in an out of the drop zone, the Brown-and-Whites have kept a cool head and shown the greatest staying power of late. On Friday evening they will be out to demonstrate that again by taking three points from the Betzenberg to almost certainly secure their second division status.

Photos: Witters