Overview
- St. Pauli open their 2026 campaign on Wednesday at 18:30 with an away match at VfL Wolfsburg.
- A victory would temporarily lift St. Pauli above Wolfsburg, with the fixture framed as big points in the relegation fight.
- Wolfsburg enter under pressure after a 1–8 loss to Bayern that left them in the drop zone, though Alexander Blessin cautions against overreading that result and expects a response.
- St. Pauli will be without captain Jackson Irvine for weeks due to a left foot problem.
- Wolfsburg coach Daniel Bauer lauds St. Pauli’s compact defending and flags Eric Smith as pivotal, while media list projected lineups and TAG24 predicts a 2–1 St. Pauli win.