FC St. Pauli

Markus Kauczinski's side went into the derby hoping to finish a busy spell of games with another three-point haul. It ended scoreless, but seven points from three matches is still an impressive return. Nine days was all it took for the Boys in Brown to dig themselves out of the hole they had fallen into after losing four competitive fixtures in a row. After two days off to rest and recuperate at the beginning of the week, they returned to training full of focus ahead of the visit of Sandhausen.

"Keep it going" is the motto for the clash against a Sandhausen side currently occupying the relegation play-off spot. Kauczinski's charges go into the game determined to build on recent performances and secure another three points before entering the second international break of the season. The refound defensive stability is to serve as the foundation for this – after shipping 15 goals in four games the Boys in Brown conceded just one in the next three against Ingolstadt (1-0), Paderborn (2-1) and HSV (0-0). Another clean sheet is thus the target against Sandhausen.

After the 1-0 home defeat against Magdeburg on what head coach Kenan Kocak described as a "horrendous day", a defeat that sealed the worst start to a second-division season in the club's history (just five points from eight games), Sandhausen hope to show a completely different side to themselves at the Millerntor. "We've given quite a good account of ourselves at the Millerntor recently," said Kocak. And he is right, as a look at the statistics confirms. Sandhausen have not returned home empty-handed since August 2014. The last two encounters have ended all square (1-1; 0-0), with Sandhausen winning 3-1 almost three years ago to the day.

"We know we have a tough task ahead of us," said Kocak. "Nevertheless, we go there looking to win." Three points would probably lift Sandhausen out of the bottom three, but a win for the Boys in Brown would see them consolidate their position at the other end of the table.

A solid defensive performance is not the only thing required if the Boys in Brown are to make it five league wins in six home games this season and last (the only defeat came against Cologne in early September). Up front they will be striving to pose a greater threat than they did in the derby and score one more than the visitors. That will not be easy, however, as Markus Kauczinski was keen to point out: "Sandhausen are compact, awkward opponents. It's going to be a tight, hard-fought game in which we'll need to take advantage of the small windows of opportunity that open up."

Photo: Witters