Preview

The second round match of the 2024-25 German Bundesliga between Union Berlin and St. Pauli Hamburg promises to be interesting and tense. Both teams faced major changes in the summer, when they changed head coaches. And although talk of relegation is still premature, this matchup can be considered one where "six points" are at stake.

Union Berlin
Union Berlin began the new season under the management of Bo Svensson, who replaced Urs Fischer. Svensson, known for his work with Mainz, took over a team that barely avoided relegation last season. His start with the Iron was rather cautious: a minimal victory over amateur club Greifsalder (1:0) in the German Cup and a 1:1 draw with Svensson's former team Mainz in the first round of the Bundesliga. Laszlo Benes, the summer newcomer of Union, scored a goal in this match, which gives some hope to the fans for a successful continuation of the season.

St. Pauli (Hamburg)
St. Pauli had a successful last season, becoming champions of the Second Bundesliga and winning this title for the first time in their history. However, in the summer, coach Fabian Hürzeler left the team, accepting an offer from Brighton from the English Premier League. The new coach was Alexander Blessin, who, despite some success in Belgium, was not able to immediately inspire the team to a successful start in the Bundesliga. In the first round, the "Pirates" suffered a home defeat to "Heidenheim" (0:2), which showed certain weaknesses in the team's game.

Forecast
"Union" will play at home at the stadium "An der Alten Försterei", and this advantage can play a decisive role. The Berliners under the leadership of Svensson are gradually finding their game and will strive for their first victory in the championship. At the same time, "St. Pauli", although a newcomer to the elite of German football, has a team spirit and unpredictability that can create problems for the hosts.

Forecast: a 1:1 draw or a minimal victory for "Union" 2:1.

Disqualified: none.
Injured: Yannick Stein, Josip Juranovic, Jerome Roussillon, Kevin Volland (Union) - Sören Ahlers, Sascha Burchert, Simon Zoller (St. Pauli).
Where to watch: The match will be broadcast on Setanta Sports.