St. Pauli set to use media relations man

What do you do when you don't have enough healthy players for the squad? Well if you are St. Pauli, you turn to other areas of the club to find a player. That's what coach Holger Stanislawski did when he asked Hauke Brückner, an intern from the media relations department.

"I got a call from Stanislawski and I expected he was going to tell me he was not happy with an autograph session I had set for him, but then he asked me if I was fit enough to train," Brückner told the Welt newspaper. "I said yes. I had never imagined anything like this."

Stanislawski has included Brückner in his squad to face Hannover this weekend.

"When I walked into the changing room with my bag, the boys were staring at me, not really believing it," Brückner said.

Brückner previously played in the zweite liga back in 2002-03, but the 30-year-old had long retired. He could make his first career top-flight appearance.

Bundesliga Matchday 24 predictions

Friday night

VfL Wolfsburg v. Mönchengladbach

Prediction: 1-2

The Wolves are putting a lot of focus on this six-pointer. But veterans like Hanke and the coaching of Favre give the Foals a fighting chance.

Saturday

1. FC Kaiserslautern v. Hamburger SV

Prediction: 2-1

This should be a classic letdown for HSV after an emotional week of derbies against a relegation-threatened FCK.

1. FC Koln v. SC Freiburg

Prediction: 2-2

These teams play some wide-open football so expect plenty of goals, but perhaps not a winner.

FC Schalke 04 v. 1. FC Nürnberg

Prediction: 2-1

Granted Der Klub are red-hot. But it's still hard to see the Royals Blues tripping up in this spot.

FC St. Pauli v. Hannover 96

Prediction: 0-2

St. Pauli have no defenders apparently so this is a good opportunity for three points for Hannover.

1899 Hoffenheim v. FSV Mainz 05

Prediction: 2-1

Remember when Mainz were the darlings of German football? Remember when Hoffenheim were as well?

Bayern München v. Borussia Dortmund

Prediction: 1-1

Bayern president Uli Hoeness has guaranteed a two-goal victory for his side. Weidenfuller is a game-time decision for Dortmund, who have every incentive to shut Hoeness and the Bavarians up.

Sunday

Eintracht Frankfurt v. VfB Stuttgart

Prediction: 0-0

There may not be a worse matchup on the continent than this one. These teams are awful.

Werder Bremen v. Bayer Leverkusen

Prediction: 1-3

Expect a clinical effort from Leverkusen against a wounded Bremen.

Are Bayern too cocky for their own good?

There are a lot of reasons German football fans do not root for Bayern Munich. Bayern president Uli Hoeness provided one of them with his remarks about Saturday's matchup in Munich against Borussia Dortmund, the runaway league leaders who are by the way 13 points ahead of Bayern.

"I expect a clear victory," Hoeness told Bild. "I can totally rule out a draw or a defeat. We are the better team and Dortmund have no chance against us, and that is that. We will win by two goals."

So a team that is 13 points ahead of another has no chance? We at TBG hope that Jurgen Klopp's men see that remark by Hoeness.

Sir Alex is correct

This is all you need to know about Manchester United and Marseille's 0-0 match Wednesday.

Ferguson: "Nothing really happened to be honest, and I don't think it was a good match to watch."

Enough said.

Becks treats the lads to meat pies

The great one himself, David Beckham, has not played in England in quite some time. But he's truly an English lad when it comes to cuisine (though we at TBG do not know why).

Becks celebrated his last day of training with the club by treating Tottenham's staff and players to a traditional English meal. Spurs boss Harry Redknapp says Beckham had meat pies and mashed potatoes delivered to the club's training ground in east London from "somewhere up the road, and we all tucked in."

The Tottenham supremo also said that "some of the foreign lads were not too sure what to make of pie and mash so we had their portions."

What do you think? Should the foreign lads have passed on free pie and mash? Should Redknapp not be eating so much? Let us know and you may win a free traditional English meal, courtesy of TBG.

Cottbus jinx continues for Hertha BSC

Hertha BSC just can't beat Energie Cottbus at home. It's eight years and counting that Hertha have not beaten Cottbus in Berlin after the Brandenburg derby ended in a 2-2 draw in Monday night football action at the Olympic Stadium.

Once again, set pieces doomed Hertha after Pierre-Michel Lasogga split through two defenders for an opener that deservedly put the home side in front. Cottbus twice scored off corner kicks at the frigid stadium for a 2-1 lead.

Defender Roman Hubnik equalised off a rebound before the break, and a cracker of a second half loomed. Instead the action fizzled and Hertha were actually on the back foot for much of it. Niemeyer's shot from the edge of the box in the 89th minute was Hertha's best opportunity, but wasn't even close to the target.

Hertha lead the table by two points over FC Augsburg and VfL Bochum. On Saturday, our heroes make the treacherous trip to near the Dutch and Belgian border to face eighth-placed Aachen.

Bundesliga Matchday 23 review

Friday night

1. FC Nürnberg v. Eintracht Frankfurt

Prediction: 3-1

Actual result: 3-0

That's six matches on the trot without a goal for toothless Frankfurt.

Saturday

Borussia Dortmund v. FC St. Pauli

Prediction: 3-1

Actual result: 2-0

Dortmund preps for their trip to the Allianz with three vital points.

SC Freiburg v. VfL Wolfsburg

Prediction: 2-1

Actual result: 2-1

The Wolves are truly one of the continent's biggest disappointments.

Hamburger SV v. Werder Bremen

Prediction: 2-2

Actual result: 4-0

Ditto for Werder Bremen.

Hannover 96 v. 1. FC Kaiserslautern

Prediction: 2-0

Actual result: 3-0

96ers still in good contention for Champions League.

1899 Hoffenheim v. 1. FC Koln

Prediction: 2-3

Actual result: 1-1

Hoffenheim dominated but fails to take three points.

FSV Mainz 05 v. Bayern München

Prediction: 1-1

Actual result: 1-3

Hard to remember when Mainz actually had a sizable gap on Bayern now.

Sunday

Bayer Leverkusen v. VfB Stuttgart

Prediction: 3-1

Actual result: 4-2

This truly was a criminal result for Labbadia's men, who equalised early in the second half and missed several guilt-edged chances to go in front.

Mönchengladbach v. FC Schalke 04

Prediction: 1-3

Actual result: 2-1

Gladbach earnes their first home win in shock fashion. Lucien Favre still believes there is hope for his club, level on points with VfB.