The 2. Bundesliga resumes this weekend, starting with 1. FCK Kaiserslautern's trip to face newly-promoted MSV Duisburg later tonight. The other team to come up from Germany's third tier this year though, DSC Arminia Bielefeld, get their campaign underway on Saturday afternoon, away to St. Pauli.
Many people may see this fixture as an early clash between two potential relegation candidates, Arminia having just been promoted to the second tier again and St. Pauli having struggled last season, but the two teams will be hoping otherwise.
Last season
Despite the two perhaps having similar aims in the upcoming season - to stay up - they had extremely contrasting campaigns last year.
St. Pauli very nearly avoided this fixture altogether as they came within a point and a place of losing their 2. Bundesliga status, however, they survived by the skin of their teeth. Only results elsewhere going in their favour helped them stay up, with Erzgebirge Aue failing to beat Heidenheim on the final day and 1860 Munchen's loss also keeping St. Pauli from dropping into the relegation play-off spot, even though they themselves lost 1-0 to Darmstadt 98, now a Bundesliga side after their second place finish last season.
With one of the leakiest defences in the league and a goal-scoring record not good enough to cancel it out, the Hamburg-based side struggled incredibly last year, losing 17 times in 34 matches - the most defeats suffered by any team in the division, and they will be hoping for improvements this time round.
As for Arminia, they had a memorable 2014-15 campaign, seeing marvellous success in both the league and cup. Having been relegated to the third tier in the 2013-14 season thanks to a 122nd minute goal by Darmstadt in the second leg of their relegation play-off, Arminia did not spend the year feeling sorry for themselves, scoring a whopping 75 goals in 38 games to help themselves to the top of the 3. Liga table, winning the division by three points and earning automatic promotion.
On top of this, the side had an incredible DFB-Pokal campaign. Arminia defeated three Bundesliga sides on their way to the semi-finals of the competition, dispatching Hertha BSC, Werder Bremen and Borussia Monchengladbach to reach the last four, where they were only stopped by eventual winners and Bundesliga runners-up, Wolfsburg.
It was a season to savour for the fans, who had endured so much heartache the year before.
Transfer business
With St. Pauli hoping to improve and Arminia looking to adjust to the 2. Bundesliga successfully, both have been busy in the summer transfer window.
However, most of St. Pauli's business has regarded outgoings, many of which have hurt the team and hindered their squad ahead of the new season. The departure of Dennis Daube is certainly a key one, the midfielder, who racked up seven assists last year as his side avoided the drop, joining Union Berlin to end a spell of 14 years with the club after coming through their youth ranks.
Their squad is looking quite short as the new season approaches, with departures reaching double figures, but the recruitment of Arsenal's Ryo Miyaichi is certainly a marvellous piece of business by the club, with them accquiring the young Japanese winger on a free transfer after his release by the Gunners. A player of his quality can certainly light up the 2. Bundesliga.
As for Arminia, they have had a superb summer in the transfer market, holding onto their key players and adding more quality on top of that. The experience recruited in goalkeeper Daniel Davari, an Iranian international who spent five years as Eintracht Braunschweig's number one, will be priceless, whilst Christopher Nothe and Michael Gorlitz also boast similar experience, both having joined from St. Pauli this summer and in with the chance of making their Arminia debuts against their former club.
Expectations this season
Though both teams will hope to achieve more, their basic targets this year will be to survive relegation. St. Pauli will hope that their mass changes over the summer will pay dividends and allow them to push for a more comfortable mid-table finish, whilst Arminia will be not want to be in the thick of the relegation battle either, though they appear have the experience in their squad to help them out of one if needs be.
Generally, both teams will be wanting to complete a season to build upon next year, though Arminia could potentially be a surprise package and go above and beyond expectations with the momentum they carry into the new campaign.
Previous meetings
These two have met 11 times before, most recently in the 2013-14 season, which ended in relegation for Arminia. However, they recorded a 1-0 win at St. Pauli early in that campaign, a second half penalty from Thomas Hubener giving them all three points, before they came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in the reverse fixture, a late brace from Kacper Przybylko, now at Kaiserslautern, rescuing a point - Nothe, now of Arminia, scored for St. Pauli in that game too.
Arminia are currently on a six game unbeaten run against St. Pauli, with three wins and three draws coming from those latest meetings - one of those draws in a pre-season friendly in 2011. Arminia's last defeat to their opponents this weekend came all the way back in 2000, as St. Pauli were victorious by a 2-0 scoreline.
Unsurprisingly, as a result, it is Arminia who lead the head-to-head with five wins from their 11 encounters, with St. Pauli winning just two of these games and the remaining four being draws.
Key players
For St. Pauli this season, their defence is going to have to improve if the team are to do the same - starting in tomorrow's game. Thus, goalkeeper Robin Himmelmann, who was marvellous last year, is going to have to have another inspirational campaign, whilst captain Soren Gonther and star defender Lasse Sobiech work hard to keep the back line intact.
Going forward, they will rely on Kyoung-Rok Choi of South Korea, the man likely to be pulling the strings in his preferred attacking midfield role. St. Pauli will hope for the youngster to chip in with a few goals himself too to help the cause, as opposed to just creating chances for others.
Miyaichi, however, will not be there to help his fellow Asian attacker after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano earlier this month. He is expected to be out for an extended spell now, with surgery required, before he is allowed to shine in the German second tier, as many have predicted.
For Arminia, their main players are situated on the attack. In Fabian Klos, they have a great outlet going forward, and will hope he can replicate his success in front of goal from last season as they bid to stay up - the 27-year-old managed 23 goals in 2014-15 as his club won the 3. Liga.
Klos is supplied by the creativity of Frenchman David Ulm, Christian Muller, and wide man Christoph Hemlein, who netted a solid 25 goals between them in their team's promotion campaign too.
When all of their attacking players are on song, Arminia are incredible to watch, and they will be hoping for the players to continue this confident, expressive play in the second tier.
Prediction
With it being the opening fixture for both sides, the game is sure to be tight as both get back into the swing of things, and there is bound to be some rustiness seen on both parts.
St. Pauli will be looking to project their vision of playing good football onto the pitch to good effect this season, having seen it fail to consistently bring about results last year, whilst Arminia, as discussed, have an exciting attack which is easy on the eye, so the match will certainly present spectators with an entertainment factor.
Arminia are particularly strong out wide, with Hemlein in particular, and they will be looking to use pace down the flanks to execute a perfect away performance and get points on the board early on this season.
St. Pauli have lost a lot of players over the summer and seen a lot of changes in the squad, and with a low number of arrivals, this could prove to have a negative effect, whereas Arminia come into the game with a team that boasts great chemistry, understanding and belief in one another after last year's success.
With the momentum and confidence they carry, I believe the visitors can come away with a result tomorrow, though not a victory, with St. Pauli keen to give their fans something to cheer about in their first home game.