St Pauli vs Hoffenheim Preview: Team News & Prediction
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St Pauli are trying to push themselves away from the danger zone as they slip back towards the bottom three ahead of facing a much-improved Hoffenheim side in Hamburg this weekend.
Kick-off date/time: Friday 14th March, 2025: UK – 7:30pm / US ET – 2:30pm / US PT – 11:30am
How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports / US – Some matches will be televised on ESPN channels so it is worth checking their schedules
How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / US – ESPN+
St Pauli Preview: Slipping under Blessin
St Pauli gained an unlikely promotion to the top-flight as 2. Bundesliga champions last season but were dealt an immediate blow with the departure of manager Fabian Hurzeler to Brighton and Hove Albion. However, under Alexander Blessin, they have been competitive this season.
They remain above the bottom three and the danger zone ahead of this weekend’s round of fixtures but the Hamburg-based club have endured a recent run of poor form, winless in their six matches, most recently sharing a 1-1 draw with Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena.
Hoffenheim Preview: Improving under Ilzer
In the November international break, Hoffenheim parted company with American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo as they battled against the drop but things did not immediately improve, and even got worse for a while, under his replacement, Sturm Graz boss Christian Ilzer.
However, the visitors have enjoyed some much-improved form of late with a four-match unbeaten run of form ahead of this one. They were, though, frustrated by a 1-1 draw at home to struggling Heidenheim last weekend.
St Pauli Team News: A few injuries
St Pauli are dealing with a few pre-existing injury concerns ahead of the visit of Hoffenheim with the freshest being Connor Metcalfe, who is sidelined alongside winter transfer window signing James Sands as well as Estonia international defender Karol Mets.
Predicted XI (3-4-1-2): Vasilj; Nemeth, Wahl, Van Der Heyden; Treu, Irvine, Smith, Ritzka; Sinani; Weisshaupt, Afolayan
Unavailable: Mets (Injured), Sands (Injured), Wagner (Injured), Guilavogui (Injured), Metcalfe (Injured)
Questionable:
Hoffenheim Team News: Several issues
Hoffenheim are dealing with several availability issues for their visit to the Millerntor this weekend as Anton Stach is missing through suspension, whilst Austria international Alexander Prass is sidelined through injury alongside Czechia international attacker Adam Hlozek.
Predicted XI (4-1-3-2): Baumann; Kaderabek, Chaves, Ostigard, Gendrey; Tohumcu; Bischof, Kramaric, Becker; Orban, Tabakovic
Unavailable: Kabak (Injured), Lenz (Injured), Promel (Injured), Stach (Suspended), Prass (Injured), Hlozek (Injured), Bulter (Injured), Bebou (Injured)
Questionable: Samassekou (Injured)
St Pauli vs Hoffenheim Prediction
As mentioned, St Pauli have been competitive throughout the campaign and even in this poor run of form, they have perhaps been better than results suggest – frustrated by conceding a second-half penalty to be denied a victory against Wolfsburg last weekend. They now face a Hoffenheim side that are in improved form and playing a very attacking system at the moment so this may end up being quite a fun watch for the neutral, regardless of the importance of the match itself, too.
St Pauli vs Hoffenheim Tip: Both teams to score
