St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel promoted to the Bundesliga

The Bundesliga is set to welcome St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel next season after both sides clinched promotion this past weekend.

The penultimate matchday of the 2. Bundesliga season was full of drama, and all three promotion spots were confirmed. St. Pauli claimed a 3-1 win over Osnabrück to clinch their promotion to the Bundesliga, 13 years on from their last season in the top division of German football.

Led by captain Jackson Irvine, Die Kiezkicker capped off an incredible season by clinching promotion at the famous Millerntor-Stadion.

Marcel Hartel was the star of the show for St. Pauli this season, scoring 17 goals and assisting a further 12 for the Hamburg-based club. Johannes Eggestein, Oladapo Afolayan, and Hauke Wahl were also crucial for Fabian Hürzeler's side, as they enjoyed a record-breaking campaign in the 2. Bundesliga.

Germany's cult club will be joined by Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga next season. Marcel Rapp's side will be playing top flight football for the first time in the club's history. Kiel managed to see off the challenge of Fortuna Düsseldorf and Hamburger SV to clinch promotion.

Borussia Dortmund loanee Tom Rothe played a key role in Holstein Kiel's promotion campaign. Timo Becker, Lewis Holtby, and Steven Skrzybski also had excellent seasons for Kiel as they made history.

Both teams will now hope to crown their sublime campaigns by winning the 2. Bundesliga title this weekend. St. Pauli hold a one-point lead over Holstein Kiel heading into the final round of fixtures.

Fortuna Düsseldorf will play in the two-legged Bundesliga promotion/relegation playoff, where they will go up against one of FC Köln, Union Berlin, Mainz 05, and VfL Bochum. Hamburger SV, meanwhile, will have to make do with another season in the second division of German football.