AUE FACT FILE
Wednesday, 25. October 2017, 22:53 Uhr
FC Erzgebirge Aue are the visitors to the Millerntor this Friday (kick-off: 1830 CET), just four days after the last-minute point at Sandhausen. We've taken a closer look at the Saxony outfit and, as usual, put together a few facts and figures.
Great morale
After successive 2-1 defeats against Greuther Fürth and Union Berlin, Aue beat Jahn Regensburg 1-0 last weekend despite playing with ten men for 70 minutes following the dismissal of Dimitrij Nazarov. Hannes Drews's side now sit in eighth place in the table on 16 points.
Take it and dish it out
Nazarov is the most fouled player in the league. The Azerbaijan international has been stopped by illegal means a whopping 47 times, though he has not only been on the receiving end. Last time out against Jahn Regensburg Nazarov was shown the red card on 20 minutes after launching the ball at an opponent's head from close range from a throw-in, an offence he had already been sent off for back in February 2014 while still a Karlsruhe player.
Köpke does the spadework
Pascal Köpke leads the way in terms of goals and assists for Aue this season. The 22-year-old steered his side to promotion in the summer of 2016 by contributing ten goals, having helped them avoid relegation the previous season with the same tally. This term he has shone as a provider rather than as a scorer of goals. With three goals and five assists so far, he ranks second in the league to Ingolstadt's Sonny Kittel (six assists) in this category.
Ever-presents
First-choice keeper Martin Männel and centre-back Fabian Kalig have played every minute this season. By comparison, injury problems have meant that goalkeeper Robin Himmelmann is the only St. Pauli player to have featured in all 990 minutes so far.
Record-breaking Männel
Männel broke the club's appearance record at Fürth on matchday 10 when he ran out for the 306th time in a competitive fixture. The 29-year-old has kept 109 clean sheets in this time. FCE's previous record-holder was centre-forward Harald Mothes, who mainly played for the club in the 1980s when it was still known as FC Wismut Aue.
Photo: FC Erzgebirge Aue