FC St. Pauli are riding a wave of success ahead of the DFB Cup tie against Schalke. That’s what the Pauli coach has to say ahead of the second-round game.

FC St. Pauli defeated SV Atlas Delmenhorst 5-0 in the first round of the DFB Cup. The second round will be a little more difficult, as the Kiez kickers will face second division team FC Schalke in front of a sold-out Millerntor crowd.

The two teams have already met in the league, with St. Pauli winning 3-1. Speaking of winning: St. Pauli goes into the cup game as the league leader of the 2nd Bundesliga, and the team of coach Fabian Hürzeler has not yet lost a competitive game in the current season.

Not even on Sunday, when St. Pauli managed to turn a 0-1 deficit into a late win against Karlsruher SC. The Kiez kickers are feeling suitably confident ahead of the 90 or 120 minutes against the Royal Blues.

At the pre-match press conference, Hürzeler emphasized: “We have to act as a compact team. Even the forwards have to take the first step immediately after losing the ball, switch to defensive mode and slow down Schalke’s pace.”

Matches are always highlights for me. So I could get used to having more English weeks on the schedule

Fabian Hürzeler

With regard to the cup competition, the coach hopes that the journey will continue after Tuesday’s game (6 p.m.): “We want to get the maximum out of it and give the fans a place in the next round. The cup has a special flair and is something special. We are highly motivated to reach round three. “Games are always highlights for me. So I could get used to having English weeks on the schedule. It means we work even more closely as a staff. And that’s great fun.”

But Hürzeler knows that it will be hard work against Schalke. That’s because their opponent has a new coach and a 3-1 win over Hannover under their belts. ”The change of coach has changed something in Schalke’s style of play. But it must be emphasized that they are always capable of scoring goals. They have enormous quality and are difficult to play against. We have watched and analyzed their recent games. We are well prepared for the game against Schalke. I expect Schalke to try to close down the center.”

However, Schalke will be without Lino Tempelmann, who just scored his first goal for Schalke against Hannover. Hürzeler: “Lino Tempelmann is a very exciting player. He scored against Hannover and played a very good game. With him out of the game is a player who is always able to play the decisive pass.”