2. Bundesliga preview: FC St. Pauli vs. Greuther Fürth

A meeting between two teams who both endured difficult campaigns last season, albeit in different divisions, promises to be an intriguing one as St. Pauli play host to Fürth. Both sides will be desperate to kickstart their respective campaigns with a positive result and restore some confidence following their struggles last term.

A new-look St. Pauli side prepares to begin their 2. Bundesliga campaign following relegation from the Bundesliga last season. Former Karlsruher SC boss Marcel Rapp has been tasked with leading the club’s bid for an immediate return to the top flight, while also overseeing a significant squad rebuild after 11 departures during the summer.

One of the club’s new arrivals is former Fürth captain Branimir Hrgota, adding an extra layer of intrigue to Sunday’s encounter.

St. Pauli made a flying start to their pre-season preparations, picking up four consecutive victories over Altona, Emden, Babelsberg and Gorica. A 4-1 defeat to Premier League side Bournemouth provided the only setback before a credible 2-2 draw with La Liga outfit Deportivo La Coruña brought their preparations to a close.

Head coach Rapp could not hide his excitement ahead of his competitive debut in the dugout:

“It’s huge. We’ve been in training for a long time. As a coach, you always want to do more training, but that said, we’re ready to go. We’re at a level now, both physically and in terms of how we want to play football, where the campaign can begin. We’re delighted to be starting at home. We had a little taster last week, but the season starts in earnest now and we’re all looking forward to it.”

Greuther Fürth, meanwhile, enter the new campaign after securing their 2. Bundesliga status by the skin of their teeth via the relegation playoff. Despite losing several key players over the summer, Die Kleeblätter have recruited extensively in an attempt to strengthen their squad, with Heiko Vogel desperate to avoid a repeat of last season’s disappointment.

A surprise defeat to Regionalliga side Bayreuth got their pre-season underway, but four impressive victories followed against Eltersdorf, Bamberg, Zürich and Bundesliga side Freiburg. Scoring three goals in each of those wins will provide the Fürth fanbase with renewed confidence that their side can compete at the right end of the table this season.

Vogel is looking forward to the challenge that awaits his side on Sunday:

“I believe that the level of competition is very high again this season. There are no easy tasks. It’s the first game, so nobody knows where they stand. But St. Pauli is an incredibly attractive draw with one of the most beautiful stadiums and fantastic fans. That’s why I’m looking forward to the game.”

The fixture represents a contrast to St. Pauli’s last season opener, when they played out an entertaining 3-3 draw at home to Borussia Dortmund. Fürth, meanwhile, won their opening game last campaign, defeating Dynamo Dresden 3-2 at home.

The two sides last met in 2024, with the Hamburg club prevailing 3-2 at the Millerntor on that occasion. Fürth’s last victory over St. Pauli came in 2021, while their last away win against Sunday’s opponents dates back to 2019. Rapp has won just two of his six meetings with Fürth during his managerial career.

Team news

FC St. Pauli: Abdoulie Ceesay, Mathias Pereira Lage and Connor Metcalfe are unavailable. Branimir Hrgota could make his competitive debut against his former club.

Greuther Fürth: Benjamin Zank is the only confirmed absentee for the visitors.

Predicted lineups

FC St. Pauli (3-4-1-2): Voll (GK); Andō, Mathisen, Nemeth; Pyrka, Rasmussen, Fujita, Oppie; Hrgota; Kaars, Hara.

Greuther Fürth (4-2-3-1): Hellstern (GK); Dehm, Heuer, Keresztes, Itter; Bansé, Will; Klaus, Appelkamp, Pohlmann; Srbeny.