FC St. Pauli

Seven from four makes seven

Nürnberg have made a decent start to the season, picking up seven points from their opening four games, and sit one place above us in the table thanks to their superior goal difference. Wins in their opening league games against Kaiserslautern (3-0) and Jahn Regensburg (1-0) were followed by a 2-1 success at MSV Duisburg in the DFB Cup. FCN's 100 per cent record came to an end after a 2-2 draw against Union Berlin and they slipped to their first defeat at Erzgebirge Aue (3-1) in their final game before the international break. 

Dangerous late on

One of the factors behind their favourable start has been their habit of scoring late goals. Along with Fortuna Düsseldorf the "Club" are the most prolific side in the final quarter of an hour, with three goals. Kevin Möhwald grabbed a late winner at Regensburg, while Hanno Behrens rescued a point in the last minute against Union Berlin. Möhwald's strike at Aue was merely a consolation, however. For all their threat in the closing stages, Nürnberg have been vulnerable after the interval. Of the five goals they have conceded so far, four have come after the break. Only Dynamo Dresden (5) have conceded more often in the second half.

Fair play

Nürnberg are flying among the fairest teams in the league this season, lying second in the Fair Play table behind the Boys in Brown with just five yellow cards as opposed to our three. It hasn't always been that way, however. In the last three seasons FCN have finished in the nether regions of the Fair Play table each time (14^th, 16^th and 17^th).

Last-minute signing

FCN's most recent recruit is Tobias Werner. The experienced wide man arrived from VfB Stuttgart on a 12-month loan just before the end of the transfer period and with 124 second-division appearances (23 goals) is a useful addition to the squad. The last-minute deal was a reaction to the serious injury sustained by Sebastian Kerk. On his return to the club from Kaiserslautern the winger provided an impressive four assists in the first three games (best in the league) before tearing an Achilles tendon against Union Berlin, an injury that will keep him out of action for around six months.

Effective Möhwald

In Kevin Möhwald the "Club" possess a No10 who not only carries a constant goal threat but is also extremely effective. The Erfurt-born player's three goals so far have come from just eight attempts, giving him an extremely impressive conversion rate of around 38 per cent. The attacking midfielder was linked with a move to the Bundesliga in summer but eventually stayed in Nürnberg.

Erras returns to action

FCN took advantage of the international break to contest two friendlies. They began with a 13-1 win over lower-league outfit TSV Windsbach and then drew 1-1 against Czech top-division club Dukla Prague. Both games were special ones for Patrick Erras, as they were his first two appearances in 18 months since rupturing a cruciate ligament on 11 March 2016, some 18 months ago. Erras was given a 45-minute runout in both fixtures.

Photo: Witters

Photo: Witters