St. Pauli beat Osnabrück to seal Bundesliga promotion

St. Pauli will play Bundesliga football for the first time since 2011 next season, after securing promotion with a win over Osnabrück.

Pauli ran out 3-1 winners over Osnabrück, giving them an unassailable six-point cushion on the promotion play-off spot ahead of the final matchday.

Die Kiezkicker's promotion brings an end to a 13-year stint in Bundesliga 2, following their relegation from the Bundesliga at the end of 2010/11.

Watch: Highlights of Pauli's promotion-winning triumph

After back-to-back fifth-placed finishes, Pauli have enjoyed a superb season in Bundesliga 2. Fabian Hürzeler's team have occupied a place in the top two since Matchday 7, leading the standings for 22 out of 26 weeks since then. They also went a division record-equalling 25 games unbeaten, before suffering their first of just five defeats so far this term on Matchday 26.

The Hamburg-based outfit - whose 66-point tally is a new club record in Germany's second tier - can secure their maiden Bundesliga 2 title if they match or better Holstein Kiel's result on the final day of the season.

Fabian Hürzeler, 31, has taken Pauli up in his first full season as head coach. - Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Pauli were previously promoted to the Bundesliga in 1976/77, 1987/88, 1994/95, 2000/01 and 2009/10, with their most recent top-flight stint lasting just one season. The new 2024/25 campaign will be their ninth at Germany's top table.

Watch: Who are St. Pauli?

Holstein Kiel will join them after securing the other automatic promotion spot on Saturday, while Fortuna Düsseldorf will face the 16th-placed Bundesliga team in the two-legged promotion/ relegation play-off to determine who gets to play in the top tier next season.

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