With only 22 goals after 20 games, FC St. Pauli has the second best defensive in the Bundesliga. The promoted player under coach Alexander Blessin is increasingly grabs – and according to data analysis for the Bundesliga is far more promising than that of his predecessor Fabian Hürzeler.
“You have defended deep, narrow and compact.” – “It was a difficult game.” – “You put pressure on with a lot of energy and it was difficult for us to assert us.” – “In the first half, St. Pauli Gloss was clear the better team.”
The greatest praise came from the opponent last Saturday. The Augsburg players Mert Mert Kömür, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, Alexis Claude-Maurice and coach Jess Thorup knew all too well after the late 1-1 at the Millerntor that this point against FC St. Pauli is not a matter of course. And how hard he was.
Third best promoted by the past 30 years
Kömür’s volley equalizer in the 83rd minute was the second shot of the FCA goal that afternoon, the guests had given the guests a few minutes earlier. Before: around 80 minutes of Augsburg offensive-eBbe. And that was not due to a lack of effort. The attacks only got caught in the close-meshed defensive network of Hamburg, which today competes with RB Leipzig (5.30 p.m., in the NDR Livcenter).
Blessin’s strategy speaks for itself: The Braun-Weißen conceded only 22 goals after 20 match days. Only two Bundesliga promoters have been better over the past 30 years: RB Leipzig in the 2016/2017 season with 20 and FC Ingolstadt 2015/2016 with 21 goals.
“St. Pauli combines tactical discipline with physical intensity and wisely position game. The high mileage and intensive pressing work ensure that you constantly put the opponent under pressure and make it difficult to build up the game.”
-GSN analysis
As the data of the Global Soccer Networks (GSN) show, the enormous defensive power of the climber is based primarily on five pillars:
- extremely high willingness to run
- outstanding organization
- strong pressing
- Large duel
- high discipline
The GSN experts bring this on the following formula: “St. Pauli combines tactical discipline with physical intensity and clever position. Against position attacks and central breakthroughs, as they defend compactly and interrupt opposing pass paths at an early stage. “
In many values in the top 5 of the Bundesliga
In numbers: the Hamburgers are extremely strong. On average, 121 kilometers covers each game – first place (league average: 117). It is third in the intensive runs – an average of 753 in 90 minutes (league: 729). As in the pre -season, the “Kiezkicker” not only run a lot, but also particularly quickly to disturb opposing attacks early and to quickly form defensively.
One consequence of this and especially for an advanced one: nobody in the Bundesliga is better to defend position attacks by the opponent. The Blessin team collects just 0.4 hits per encounter in this way (league: 0.69).
And the list can be continued. Regardless of whether there are any goals from the center (0.45/2th place), goals from the penalty area (1.0/2.), Defensive Bodenzweights (65 percent, 5th), ball winnings according to opposing passports (31.2/5 .), Team pressing campaigns per game (16.85/5.) Clarification actions (6.25/5.), Ball losses in their own third (18.95/5.) Or intercepted balls by midfielder (13/3.) – St. Pauli has what it takes to survive in this league.
Defensive strength as a result of collective work
The defensive winning championships, it is common in many team sports. Apparently it can also help climbing to keep the class. But all players have to work collectively and disciplined, as Blessin repeatedly emphasizes.
Above all, he expects four things from his players: a high pressing with structured walking paths to disturb the opponent at an early stage; A midfield pressing with close spatial cover and fast shift movements; Fast switchover movements to go directly into counterpressing after loss of ball; Compact penalty area defense to prevent dangerous degrees. The tasks are roughly summarized from the back to the front:
The defense – flexible triple chain with high compactness
Tasks:
- Compact position and tight distances
- Flexible wing defense
- High dynamic when moving out
The midfield heart of the defensive work
Tasks:
- Counterpressing and ball gains in midfield
- Support of the defense
- Wing defense by the rail players
The attack – first Line of defense With intensive pressing
Tasks:
- High pressing on the opposing game structure
- Targeted ball wins through intelligent walking paths
- Active defensive work by the strikers
The way to this “well-oiled defensive machine” required, after the fabian Hürzeler, which is under Blessin’s predecessor Fabian Hürzeler, in the 2nd league as successfully and dominantly practiced ball possession football. Philipp Treu, for example, according to GSN, “developed from a defensively compact, securing full -back to an aggressive, pressing -intensive wingback”, which is an elementary part of Blessin’s offensive pressing.
Defender Hauke Wahl and Karol Mets have to be in one-on-one duels more often and are more involved in the game structure than in the previous season. And captain Jackson Irvine also acts in a changed role: he has become a “defensive, more stable midfielder” from a “box-to-box player with a strong urge to offend”, that is, a player who acts in particular between the penalty areas.
The common path also required Slessin’s adaptability. Because the 51-year-old actually preferred a 3-5-2 system, but waved back to a 3-4-3 basic formation after the bumpy start of the season.
GSN: Blessin’s system fits better in the Bundesliga
According to the GSN experts, it is interpreted significantly differently than among Hürzeler. Blessin had already said “not a Fabian 2.0” at his performance in Hamburg. And that shows up – also and especially in defensive terms. While Hürzeler rely on structured, sizering defends that aimed to control and avoid rooms, Blessin pursues a much more aggressive, pressing -intensive strategy, in which the team puts the opponent under pressure and actively forced the opponent’s ball losses early.
Key figures from St. Pauli’s defensive under Hürzeler (2nd league)
- Expected goals (XGA): 1.18 per game (best defensive in the 2nd league)
- Actual goals: 1.06 per game (1st place)
- Goal gate from position attacks: 0.38 per game (2nd place)
- Goal gate after counterattack: 0.18 per game (10th place)
- Ball winnings in the opposing half: 30.82 per game (1st place)
- Pass interceptions: 26 per game (17th place)
Key figures from St. Pauli’s defensive under Blessin (Bundesliga)
- Expected goals (XGA): 1.36 per game (4th place in the Bundesliga)
- Actual goals: 1.1 per game (2nd place)
- Goal gate from position attacks: 0.4 per game (1st place)
- Goal gate after counterattack: 0.2 per game (15th place)
- Ball winnings in the opposing half: 26 per game (3rd place)
- Pass interceptions: 41.7 per game (5th place)
While Hürzeler’s defensive structure “worked perfectly for the 2nd league” according to the GSN analysis, St. Pauli needs one class “a more active, pressing-intensive approach”. Blessin delivers the. His system gives St. Pauli against opponents of higher playful and tactical level “More control over the game, ensures more own goal opportunities and reduces the opposing possession. is to prevail against different opponents. “
New club record in the Bundesliga for St. Pauli
One consequence of the ever better -gripping concept: the club record for the longest time without conceding a goal in the Bundesliga. He has been 286 minutes against Augsburg since the latest 1: 1. Makes more than three games across the game without an opposing goal. Previously, it had been 238 minutes in the 1996/1997 season.
A still improvement in this season? At least not excluded. However, it is much more important from the point of view of the brown -whites: Even if support like Morgan Guilavogui or Manolis Saliacas, they have a system for longer – a system to collect the points necessary for relegation.
This topic in the program:
Hamburg Journal | 07.02.2025 | 7:30 p.m.
