St Pauli, Champions of German Bundesliga 2, the second tier league competition after the Bundesliga, plan on testing their battle readiness against French Ligue 1 giants, Lyon in a pre-season friendly in Austria.
The game, scheduled to take place at the Silberstadt Arena Schwaz on Wednesday, will be used by both teams as a preparatory game as both teams gear up for their respective upcoming seasons with different ambitions and targets.
Lyon Look to Do Better Than a 6th Place Finish | Home Win = 1.65
St Pauli is set to compete in the Bundesliga for the first time since the 2010-11 season after winning the Bundesliga 2 title last season with an impressive 69 points from 34 matches.
However, the German club faces a new challenge after their promotion-winning head coach Fabian Hurzeler left for Brighton & Hove Albion over the summer. To fill the void, St Pauli appointed Alexander Blessin, who previously guided Belgian side Union SG to a second-place finish and a Belgian Cup victory.
Blessin's tenure with St Pauli began with a 3-1 win over Bremer SV but was followed by a 3-1 loss to Greuther Furth in a 120-minute friendly. With upcoming friendlies against Lyon, Norwich City, and Atalanta, Blessin will aim to build momentum and solidify his team's strategies ahead of their Bundesliga campaign.
St Pauli Eye Strong Bundesliga Return | Away Win = 4.30
Lyon are preparing for their first full season under head coach Pierre Sage, who was rewarded with a two-year contract after guiding the team from the bottom of the Ligue 1 table to a sixth-place finish last season. This performance secured Lyon a spot in the Europa League for the upcoming season.
Sage also led Lyon to their first Coupe de France final in 12 years, although they narrowly lost to Paris Saint-Germain. The French club started their pre-season preparations with a 3-2 win over Austrian side WSG Tirol.
Lyon's pre-season schedule includes friendlies against St Pauli, Torino, and Union Berlin, culminating in a match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Sage will use these matches to fine-tune his squad and integrate new tactics for the season ahead.
Key Players & Team News:
For St Pauli, new manager Alexander Blessin will try to get his players including new guys Scott Banks and Roberto Wagner to adapt quickly to his style and aim to find the right balance and cohesion to compete effectively in the Bundesliga.
Lyon's squad, under Pierre Sage, will try to test new signings like Moussa Niakhate, Abner, and Mame Balde, with the experienced ones with his eyes set on a successful Europa League run, Lyon will use this friendly to assess their squad depth and tactical approach.
Match Stats & Betting Odds | Draw = 4.30
With both teams scoring, 14 goals in 5 games for Lyon, and 9 goals in 5 games for St Pauli, this friendly, which marks the first meeting between St Pauli and Lyon promises to be an intriguing contest. | Main Market: Over 3.5 = 2.27
St Pauli's recent form in pre-season has been mixed, with a win (3-1) and a loss (3-1) in their last two games so far. | Specials Market: O/U & GG/NG (Over 2.5 & Yes) = 1.78
Lyon, on the other hand, have started their pres-season on the perfect note with two (2) wins out of their two (2) games, (7-0, 3-2) and will look to continue their positive momentum. | Specials Market: Double Chance & GG/NG (Home/Draw & Yes) = 1.88
You can check out the St Pauli vs. Lyon pre-season friendly on MSport here.
