FC St. Pauli

...the opposition: "Osnabrück have started very well this season. They’re riding a wave of euphoria and have been excellent at home, where they’ve had some great results in beating Karlsruhe 3-0 and Darmstadt 4-0. They’re flexible in possession and always carry a threat up front. Their ground is not that big, but it offers a genuine football atmosphere. We know what that means. With their support, the Osnabrück fans repeatedly push their team to top performances – as do ours."

...the challenge on Sunday: "It’s a new game at Osnabrück, one we have to focus on. We’ve done that well before previous away games. It's not going to be easy, of course, but you can’t compare it with Monday’s game against HSV. The pressure and the tension were much bigger on Monday. We need to get back to the bread and butter stuff. I’m positive, though, and expect us to be totally focused and ready to give it all we've got."

...the injury situation: "Kevin Lankford has a back problem and is unlikely to be an option on Sunday. Ersin Zehir, Jakub Bednarczyk and Niklas Hoffmann will help out with the Under-23s. Svend Brodersen and Cenk Sahin are ill. Dimitrios Diamantakos has been ill but will hopefully be able to train again today. Dimi's on a roll at the moment. It’d be a pity if he couldn’t play on Sunday. Christian Conteh took a kick on the calf on Monday and then had a thigh problem in training yesterday and had to pull out. We’ll have to see whether he can play. Otherwise the lads have been working very hard in training – not just the one who played in the derby but everyone. I'll see what's best for the team on Sunday."

...the derby: "There's nothing better than looking forward to the next game on the back of a win in an amazing atmosphere on Monday. It gives us added motivation and confidence for Sunday's game. When all's said and done, though, we know Osnabrück will be going all out to beat us."

Photos: Witters