Preview, team news and predicted lineups as FC St. Pauli welcome 1. FC Nürnberg to the Millerntor-Stadion on Sunday afternoon.

FC St. Pauli will be looking to return to winning ways when they welcome promotion hopefuls 1. FC Nürnberg in an important 2. Bundesliga encounter on Sunday.

Marcel Rapp’s side currently occupy seventh place with 12 points from their opening nine matches, while Miroslav Klose’s Nürnberg are second with 18 points, seven behind league leaders Hertha BSC.

St. Pauli have developed a reputation for being difficult to beat in recent weeks, but a run of consecutive draws has prevented them from climbing further up the standings. Meanwhile, Nürnberg have enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, although their recent league form has begun to show signs of inconsistency.

With both sides targeting promotion, Sunday’s meeting at the Millerntor promises to be an important test of their respective ambitions.

FC St. Pauli

St. Pauli head into Sunday’s encounter unbeaten in their last six league matches, although their recent inability to turn draws into victories has prevented them from building greater momentum.

Rapp’s side have recorded two victories and six draws from their opening nine fixtures, with their only league defeat coming earlier in the campaign.

Their most recent outing ended in a goalless draw away to SV Darmstadt 98, extending their run of consecutive league draws to two following a 1-1 result against Hannover 96.

Despite the lack of victories, St. Pauli have demonstrated considerable defensive improvement, conceding just nine goals in nine league matches.

Their attacking output has been less consistent, however, with the Hamburg outfit scoring 11 goals during that period.

Abdoulie Ceesay has been one of their most important attacking players, scoring four league goals in seven appearances. The forward will once again be expected to play a significant role against Nürnberg.

Rapp will also be encouraged by his team’s performances at the Millerntor, where they have collected seven points from their opening four home league fixtures.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s encounter, the St. Pauli coach expressed confidence in his team’s preparations and acknowledged the quality of their opponents.

“We are well prepared and looking forward to a good game against a very good opponent. We are confident and excited about the weekend,” Rapp explained.

The coach also praised Nürnberg’s attacking quality and ability to press opponents aggressively, warning that his players would need to perform at their highest level.

“We’ll have to give our all and dig deep at times. We’re going out to win and then we'll see whether it turns out to be a top game or not.” he added.

St. Pauli will therefore be targeting a third league victory of the campaign as they look to close the gap on the promotion places.

1. FC Nürnberg

Nürnberg travel to Hamburg looking to strengthen their position in the promotion race, having collected 18 points from their opening nine league matches.

Klose’s team have recorded five victories, three draws and just one defeat, establishing themselves as one of the division’s most dangerous attacking sides.

They have already scored 21 league goals this season, with their attacking approach allowing them to regularly create opportunities against opposing defences.

However, Nürnberg have experienced a slight dip in form over recent weeks, failing to win any of their last three league matches.

Their most recent league outing ended in a disappointing 1-0 home defeat against Kaiserslautern, while previous draws against Energie Cottbus and VfL Wolfsburg prevented them from closing the gap on Hertha.

Nürnberg subsequently faced Bundesliga opposition in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday, producing an impressive performance against Bayer Leverkusen before eventually suffering a 5-2 defeat.

The visitors had actually established a two-goal advantage during the first half, with their attacking approach causing significant problems for the hosts. However, Leverkusen eventually turned the contest around to secure progression into the next round.

Despite the defeat, Klose will take encouragement from his team’s attacking performance, particularly their ability to create opportunities against high-quality opposition.

The Nürnberg coach will now be hoping his players can translate that performance into a positive league result.

One of the biggest challenges facing the visitors will be breaking down a St. Pauli defence that has conceded relatively few goals this season.

Nevertheless, Nürnberg’s attacking quality means they should provide a stern test for the hosts.

Head-to-head record

St. Pauli have enjoyed considerable success against Nürnberg in recent years, establishing themselves as something of a bogey team for the Franconian club.

The Hamburg outfit have gone 14 consecutive matches without defeat against Nürnberg, recording nine victories and five draws during that period.

Indeed, St. Pauli have won each of their last four meetings with Der Club, including both encounters during their previous 2. Bundesliga campaign in 2023/24.

Their most recent competitive meeting ended in a 2-0 victory for St. Pauli away from home in March 2024.

Historically, St. Pauli have also recorded more victories against Nürnberg in the second tier than against any other opponent, with 15 wins.

Nürnberg will therefore be determined to end their lengthy winless run against Sunday’s hosts, particularly given the importance of maintaining their position near the top of the table.

Team news

FC St. Pauli:

Rapp has a relatively strong squad available heading into Sunday’s encounter, although there are two confirmed absentees.

Gisli Thordarson remains unavailable with a thigh injury, while Mathias Pereira Lage continues his recovery from a serious knee injury.

1. FC Nürnberg:

Nürnberg have several injury concerns following their recent run of fixtures.

Mohamed Ali Zoma remains unavailable after suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery.

Kristian Mandic is also sidelined with an internal ligament injury, while Finn Becker is recovering from a meniscus injury, and Mikayil Faye is still working towards full match fitness.

Klose will therefore have limited options in certain areas of his squad, particularly following Wednesday’s demanding cup encounter against Leverkusen.

Predicted lineups

FC St. Pauli (3-4-1-2): Voll; Nemeth, Smith, Ritzka; Pyrka, Rasmussen, Chima Fujita, Oppie; Metcalfe; Niang, Ceesay.

1. FC Nürnberg (4-2-3-1): Reichert; Janisch, Kalogeropoulos, Otto, Porstner; Markhiev, Fernández; Ghrieb, Justvan, Lubach; Scobel.