Philipp Lienhart Prepares for Unfamiliar Territory at St. Pauli’s Millerntorstadion
For Austrian defender Philipp Lienhart, the upcoming away match at St. Pauli’s Millerntorstadion offers a unique experience. "I’m excited for St. Pauli. I’ve never been there or played there before," Lienhart said ahead of SC Freiburg’s Saturday clash.
Freiburg has a score to settle against the Kiez-Club after suffering their only home defeat of the first half of the season, a resounding 0-3 loss. "They really caught us cold. We definitely want to improve on that and secure maximum points," said SC captain Christian Günter, Lienhart’s partner in Freiburg’s four-man defense.
After conceding five goals in Leverkusen just before Christmas and a total of 15 in a series of four games, Freiburg’s defense has recently shown signs of stability.
"We wanted to regain our defensive stability, and I think we’ve managed that," Lienhart said. "After conceding so many goals, our main focus was on defending, but of course, we want to improve our attacking play as well." Against Heidenheim, the team "could have played some counterattacks better and more cleanly."
Lienhart was pleased with his performances in the 1-2 defeat against Bayern Munich and the away win in Bochum. "It was important for me to show a good performance again," he said. Coach Julian Schuster explained that the defender had "stabilized physically" after having to play at the beginning of the year despite recently recovering from an infection.
With 211 competitive appearances for Freiburg, Lienhart is one of the team’s mainstays. Partnered with former German international Matthias Ginter, they form one of the league’s best center-back duos when both are on form. Last season, Lienhart missed almost the entire second half of the season through injury, and Ginter also missed games at the end.
This could have contributed to the club missing out on European qualification for the third consecutive season. Despite this, Lienhart was selected for the European Championship last summer by Austrian national coach Ralf Rangnick. SC Freiburg also supported the decision, despite Lienhart’s prolonged absence.
Now, Lienhart is eager to help Freiburg compete for European places again this season. After their recent two victories, they have moved up to sixth place and could solidify their position in the upper echelons of the table with a win at St. Pauli. Schuster shares Lienhart’s anticipation for the match at the Millerntorstadion, having experienced its atmosphere as a player himself.
