FC St. Pauli

The shortest away trip in recent weeks, the 150 kilometres each way to Hannover and back, ended with the Boys in Brown securing a late point. In the DFB Cup, they again scored at the death in Duisburg, some 400 kilometres away, to grab a last-gasp win over SV Straelen. Last week saw another late goal, this time at Kaiserslautern, nearly 600 kilometres away. Unfortunately, it was not enough to ward off the first defeat of the season. It would have been a decent enough performance at the Betzenberg were it not for the lack of resolve and ruthlessness in front of goal. Though Kaiserslautern defended well, the chances were there, but Jakov Medić, who had already scored twice against Straelen, was the only player to find the net. His goal proved no more than a consolation, however.

After what feels like a summer break - the opening home game of the season against Nürnberg was four weeks ago - it's finally time for the Millerntor to open its gates again on Sunday. All tickets have been sold for a meeting of two teams who want to play football. "The fans can look forward to a great game," said head coach Timo Schultz in the run-up. With temperatures expected to exceed 30 degrees, a high-intensity encounter is in the offing and the Boys in Brown will need to play to their strengths against a decent footballing side. "We have plenty of them," said Schultz. "If we put in a good performance and are able to hassle them and force them into mistakes, we'll get our chances and we'll win the game."

The visitors, who in contrast to the Boys in Brown, started the new season with three home games and only one away game, will have other ideas, of course. Things have not gone according to plan at home for the second division returnees. FCM have lost three out of three at home, 2-1 against Fortuna Düsseldorf on the opening day and again by the same scoreline against Holstein Kiel last time out, while crashing 4-0 against Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB Cup. All that means FCM have already suffered one more home defeat this term than they did in the whole of last season, when the runaway third division champions lost only to the eventually relegated Würzburger Kickers (2-1) in the league and 3-2 after extra-time against the Boys in Brown in the DFB Cup.

On the positive side, Magdeburg produced an accomplished display to win 3-2 in the only away match so far at Karlsruhe. The visitors raced to a 3-0 lead at the break, only for KSC to hit back with two goals in 120 seconds after the restart. Yet Magdeburg, back in the second division for the first time since their debut appearance in the 2018/19 season, defended their lead with aplomb to claim their first points of the season, not least thanks to another goal from Baris Atik. The attacking midfielder, who set a new record in the third division in contributing 19 goals and 22 assists last season and was thus a major factor to his side's promotion, will miss out on Sunday, however. Atik had gritted his teeth and played on with a severe ligament strain in his left foot in recent weeks but has now been forced to take a rest.

Photo: Witters