Intense Rivalry Resumes as St. Pauli Faces Hamburg in Crucial Derby

The Bundesliga’s Matchday 19 commences with great anticipation on Friday evening as St. Pauli hosts Hamburg for the 113th Hamburger Stadtderby.

This matchup between the fierce rivals holds immense significance not only for the local bragging rights within the Hanseatic City but also in the context of the Bundesliga relegation struggle. St. Pauli currently occupies the last position in the league, trailing their opponents in 14th place by five points.

St. Pauli’s head coach, Alexander Blessin, is eager for a victory, as the Kiezkicker have not won a Bundesliga match in their last 14 attempts, a streak that dates back to mid-September. Conversely, Hamburg has yet to secure an away victory since their return to Germany’s top division, a situation Blessin hopes to exploit. In a statement to Hamburger Abendblatt, Blessin expressed his sentiments candidly: “With all due respect, I’d rather play against HSV on Friday than against any other team.”

On the other hand, HSV head coach Merlin Polzin, who has transitioned from fan to coach, refrained from engaging in psychological tactics during his press conference earlier this week, emphasizing, “We don’t want to talk; we want to deliver. That is the clear message to the team and our conviction.”

Blessin’s confidence is bolstered by memories of the first encounter between the teams this season, where St. Pauli secured a decisive 2-0 victory at the Volksparkstadion. However, it is important to note that the HSV squad during that match was not at full strength. Since then, Die Rothosen have acquired key players Luka Vušković, Fábio Vieira, and Albert Sambi Lokonga, all of whom have since played vital roles for Polzin’s team.

Regarding team updates, Daniel Sinani and Jackson Irvine appear fit enough to at least be included on the bench for St. Pauli, while Andréas Hountondji and Connor Metcalfe will remain unavailable. On the Hamburg side, Polzin can count on the return of Lokonga, who missed last weekend’s draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Additionally, vice-captain Nicolas Capaldo will also be available after recent concerns regarding his fitness. Yussuf Poulsen and Fabio Baldé continue their rehabilitation from injuries.

**Projected Lineups:**
**St. Pauli:** Nikola Vasilj (GK), Adam Dźwigała, Hauke Wahl, Karol Metz, Arkadiusz Pyrka, James Sands, Eric Smith, Lars Ritzka, Joel Chima Fujita, Ricky Jade-Jones, Mathias Pereira Lage.

**Hamburg:** Daniel Heuer Fernandes (GK), Nicolas Capaldo, Luka Vušković, Jordan Torunarigha, Bakary Jatta, Nicolai Remberg, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Fábio Vieira, Damion Downs, Jean-Luc Dompé.