The international break is over and it is time to return to club football. First on the horizon is the Bundesliga clash between Borussia Dortmund and FC St. Pauli. A win here could move Nuri Sahin’s men into the league’s top six, while for Alexander Blessin’s squad, 3 points here will mean a breath of fresh air in their battle for survival.
Borussia Dortmund Team News
Consistently inconsistent is a perfect way to describe Borussia Dortmund. Their performances have been the epitome of a Jekyll and Hyde side, playing spectacularly in one game, only to get decimated in the next one. On the one hand, Dortmund’s Champions League performances have been nothing short of fantastic, but there is much to be desired when the Bundesliga is concerned. At home, the team seems stable and has won all league games as hosts thus far. Results have also been goal-rich as Dortmund’s last 2 home Bundesliga games ended in 4-2 wins for them. On the road, however, is where it all falls apart for Nuri Sahin’s side – 2 consecutive losses to Union Berlin and a humiliation away to Stuttgart, coupled with a drab 0-0 draw with Werder, means that Borussia has just 1 point in their travels.
FC St. Pauli Team News
St. Pauli’s return to the Bundesliga has gone down as expected – the team is at the bottom of the table and is one of the likely relegation candidates. Following their 3-0 away win over Freiburg, the team failed to capitalize on the momentum of what was their first top-tier victory since 2011 the team at home to Mainz with the same result. A potential issue with this St. Pauli side is that it is hard for it to score goals. In 4 of the 6 Bundesliga games played up to this point, Alexander Blessin’s side has failed to find the net. The slightly optimistic take on this is that all of Pauli’s goals have come from their away fixtures.
Head-to-Head-Games
Dortmund and St. Pauli last met in 2022 in a DFB Pokal fixture that saw Borussia lose away with 2-1 and be thrown out of the competition. Aside from this game, it has been quite a while since these two teams have met in the Bundesliga. Their last game in Germany’s top tier was back in 2011 and Dortmund won that game with 2-0.
| Rank | Teams | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | Points | Current form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Borussia Dortmund | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 16 | LWLWL |
| Rank | Teams | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | Points | Current form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | FC St. Pauli | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -5 | 8 | LLDWL |
Borussia Dortmund – FC St. Pauli Betting Prediction
While Borussia’s performances have varied wildly, they have generally held their ground at home. As hosts, the team has been flawless thus far and games at the Signal Iduna Park have been goal-rich, to say the least. My pick here is for a Borussia Dortmund win in a game featuring over 2.5 goals. I think that Nuri Sahin will want his side to come back with 3 points after the international break and a fixture with one of the weaker sides in the Bundesliga is a good opportunity for just that. However, St. Pauli could surprise Borussia, especially given the latter’s leaky defence and the fact that all of the former’s goals in the Bundesliga have come away from home.
Betting Tip: Borussia Dortmund To Win & Over 2.5 Goals
Bookmaker: Sportsbet.io
Odds: 1.77
Sportsbet.io
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