REGENSBURG FACT FILE
Thursday, 19. April 2018, 16:02 Uhr
With the season entering the final furlong, FC St. Pauli travel to Bavaria this Saturday to take on SSV Jahn Regensburg (kick-off: 1300 CET). We've taken a closer look at our opponents and, as usual, summarised our findings in the following fact file.
Lots of success
Achim Beierlorzer's side amassed 25 points before the winter break and have continued their good form this year. Only VfL Bochum have picked up more points in 2018 (20) than Regensburg (19), while bottom side Kaiserslautern are the only team to have scored more goals since the turn of the year (22) than our forthcoming opponents (21). Taking the season as a whole, only Fortuna Düsseldorf and FC Nürnberg have secured more wins than newly promoted Regensburg, who have won 12 games to date this term. Jahn have lost only one of their last five matches – a 3-1 defeat against Erzgebirge Aue and sit fourth in the table, their highest placing of the season so far.
Lots of changes
Regensburg have been particularly effective from the bench. Jahn substitutes have had a hand in 13 goals to date – six assists and seven goals – best in class. Last week winger Jann George came off the bench to score twice and earn his side a 2-1 victory at Fürth. Achim Beierlorzer would appear to be aware of his golden touch and is the only second division coach apart from Heidenheim's Frank Schmidt to use his full complement of three substitutes in all 30 games. Despite making all these changes, Beierlorzer usually places his trust in the same players and has used only 22 this season.
Lots of cards
Our opponents have collected 72 bookings this season, more than any other team in the division. In the fair play table, however, they are 15th rather than last because no Jahn players have been shown straight red cards. Regensburg go into Saturday's game with no fewer than five players under the threat of suspension for the trip to MSV Duisburg in Marvin Knoll, Benedikt Saller, Jann George, Sebastian Nachreiner (all on four yellow cards) and Andreas Geipl (nine cautions). Central defender Benedikt Gimber is available for selection again, however, after serving a one-match ban for ten yellow cards last time out. Despite the glut of bookings, Regensburg have the worst tackle success rate in the league (48.3 per cent). Incidentally, the Boys in Brown lead the way in this category, having won 51.8 per cent of their tackles.
Lots of shots
Regensburg have been shooting on sight this season. A total of 315 attempts on goal is the highest in the league and has resulted in the ball hitting the back of the net 48 times. The Jahn attack has been particularly effective, contributing 34 goals this season, while centre-back Marvin Knoll has registered seven times already. The 27-year-old is something of a set-piece specialist. As well as converting three penalties, he has scored four times from a direct free-kick this season.
Lots of playing time
Striker Marco Grüttner has seen more playing time than any other forward in the league so far with 2,610 minutes from 30 games, 29 of them over the full distance. The Regensburg captain has yet to be substituted and has only sat out the 90 minutes once because of a one-match ban. This is the 32-year-old's first season in the second division after 191 appearances in the third. Grüttner is the club's leading scorer with 11 goals for the season. In the reverse fixture at the Millerntor he opened the scoring with a header.
Lots of home wins
The Continental Arena has been home to Jahn Regensburg since July 2015. It has a capacity of 15,211 and replaced the traditional Jahnstadion. The new venue has been a veritable stronghold this season: Beierlorzer's side have won nine times there already and sit fourth in the home table. The Boys in Brown have yet to leave their calling card at the Continental Arena and have contested just one competitive fixture in Regensburg, a 3-0 defeat in September 2012. The head-to-head record is evenly balanced, however, the three games to date producing a win for either side and a draw in the reverse fixture earlier in the season.
Photos: Eibner