Overview
- St. Pauli travel to 1. FC Köln on Saturday sitting 17th with seven points after nine consecutive Bundesliga defeats.
- A 2-1 DFB-Pokal win at Borussia Mönchengladbach is the template the club hopes will translate into league points.
- Top scorer Andréas Hountondji has a light muscle injury, has resumed running, and is ruled out for Köln with a return targeted next week.
- Hountondji has been called up by Benin for the Africa Cup of Nations, with release timing under discussion as FIFA’s window opens Dec. 15, which could permit Heidenheim on Dec. 13 but threaten availability for Mainz on Dec. 21.
- Martijn Kaars is set to start after a goal and an assist in the cup, while captain Jackson Irvine’s return is credited with stabilizing the team and Köln’s coach praised St. Pauli’s footballing quality.