On matchday 12 of the 2nd Bundesliga, the duel between Arminia Bielefeld and FC St. Pauli will take place on Sunday afternoon in the Schüco Arena. After the 7th game day, both teams were even equal table neighbors. But after eleven games are now seven counters between the two teams. Bielefeld slipped to 14th place after a series of four league defeats in a row. On the relegation place 16 you only have a lead of three counters. Also in the trophy during the week, the team of Jeff Saibene suffered a bitter defeat at home with MSV Duisburg 3-0. Will the turnaround succeed at Pauli?
Bielefeld:
In the last league match at Erzgebirge Aue Arminia coach Jeff Saibene had returned to the classic 4-4-2 system with a double six. But in the end, the Ostwestfalen were especially harmless in the offensive and conceded with the 0: 1, the fourth league defeat in a row. The cup also did not improve. In the first half, the Arminia was clearly inferior to the zebras from Duisburg and had to go with a 0: 3 residue in the cabin.
In the second round, the MSV concentrated on his defense and left the game to Arminia. But since Bielefeld again showed no offensive creativity, the home side could not capitalize on it. Especially after the early defeat at home against Duisburg you could quite notice the insecurity after so many defeats in series. Bielefeld must now master the first major crisis under coach Saibene, since the Luxembourg took over the team in March 2017. The pros of Bielefeld are out of shape, the heads and legs seem blocked, the self-confidence is gone. So far, managers and players are still behind the coach. The coach has to do without Ortega and Quaschner.
St. Pauli:
In their home wins against Paderborn (2: 1) and Sandhausen (3: 1), the Kiez kickers did not necessarily make their best games, but still keep the three points on the box. Things turned the other way around on matchday 11: After a good playful performance against the storks, the Hamburg players ended up empty-handed. In a goal-shot ratio of 19: 9 could the team of coach Markus Kauczinski in the North Derby against Kiel, not their good chances in the goal of the guests accommodate.
Before that, St. Pauli had taken 13 points from five games. Despite the setback against the storks, Pauli’s development seems to be heading in the right direction. Now the Kiezklub occurs again abroad. For three away games Pauli is unbeaten. These three games in foreign countries have survived without conceding. If you stay against Bielefeld without conceding, that would be a new club record. Coach Kauczinski has to get by Bielefeld without park and Sobota.
PREDICTION: X2 @ 1.44
