FC St. Pauli

Alexander Blessin on…

...the injury situation, especially in defence: “David Nemeth trained today without any reaction and will play and I’m assuming Hauke Wahl will be available as well. Adam Dźwigała had a few problems after the Bayern game but they proved to be not that serious and he’s fully fit. Siebe Van der Heyden has a problem with the back of his left thigh and is ruled out. We have a plan, and we have Lars Ritzka as well as Adam.”

...the return of Morgan Guilavogui: “Morgan is full of energy after a lengthy layoff. He’s in good nick and he’s really up for it. He started with one session last week and has trained in full this week. He should be OK for half an hour.”

...Jackson Irvine, who commentated on Thursday’s Premier League game between Tottenham and Chelsea: “We talked to him about it and you could see the gleam in his eyes when he asked if he could do it. Commentating on a Premier League game was something he’s dreamed about and you could sense the fervour in his commentary. It was a boost for him because it did him good. He did a really good job. He ran round with a smile on his face today. Anything that’s fun gives you positive energy.”

…Nikola Vasilj, who has impressed in recent weeks: “He’s grown in strength and confidence with every clean sheet. He’s doing fantastically well at the moment and is our rock at the back. He gives the defenders the feeling that they have someone behind them who’s capable of pulling off an unstoppable save, so the whole defensive unit has a sense of security. We’ll need Niko on Sunday again.”

...opponents Mönchengladbach: “Gladbach have played well in the second half of the season and will come here feeling euphoric and full of confidence. They pulled off a win last week despite being without Tim Kleindienst through suspension. They’re a team who’ve found their roles. As has been reported, they’ve defined what each player has to do more clearly, which is why they’re going very well at the moment. It’s going to be tough, but Gladbach can be beaten.”

...Gladbach’s strong points: “They’re making better use of their individual quality. Going forward they operate as a team with their runs and movement off the ball. You see it. They try to have a clear approach to their build-up play and have incredible quality in transition. In attack, they swarm forward very quickly, but they also have various other options such as the long ball up to Kleindienst, who’s always available. If we lose possession, it’ll be important to stay alert because they get the ball forward and create chances in a very clear and structured way.”

...our home form: “The fans were outstanding against Hoffenheim and with their support we’ve shown we’re not simply pushovers at home. We’ve improved a bit and after the home win against Hoffenheim want to add another one. We’ve shown often enough that we can hold our own against any opposition."

Photo: Witters