Date: October 18, 2024
Time: 9:30 p.m.
Lieu: Dortmund, Signal Iduna Park
Bundesliga 2024-25, 7th day
Where to watch: “Setanta Sports”
Players suspended: None
Injured players: Jan Kouto, Giovanni Reyna, Julien Duranville, Karim Adeyemi – Sasha Burkhardt, Seren Alers, Ben Fall, Connor Metcalf, Carlo Buchalfa, Elias Saad, Danil Sinani, Simon Zoller
Doubtful: Niklas Sule, Maximilian Bayer (Both – Borussia)
Nuri Sahin was deeply disappointed by his team’s crushing defeat in Stuttgart, losing 1-5, and said he did not want to see such performances from his players again. This humiliation at MNR Arena had some impact, but it proved fleeting. In the next round, the “Yellow and Black” made a comeback at home, winning the derby against Bochum with a score of 4-2 after being down 0-2 until the 44th minute of the match. Moreover, a few days later, they annihilated Scottish team Celtic with a score of 7-1 in a Champions League clash.
Many are currently bemoaning the intensity and density of the match schedule, but there is no escaping that, and teams must adapt. I believe the better teams find it slightly easier, given their financial capabilities and roster depth; with good rotation, it is entirely possible to navigate through such intense periods without a significant drop in quality. However, playing three games a week with virtually the same squad can lead to fatigue and other problems, such as dropped points. Dortmund lost to Stuttgart after a Champions League match (and Stuttgart had also played a Champions League match before), and after the drubbing given to the Celts before the international break, they lost in the league again – this time against Union Berlin, 1-2 away. The defeat was quite deserved as they faltered in the first half, conceding two goals. After the break, the visitors played more actively but managed to score only one goal in response.
St. Pauli
This summer, the Bundesliga welcomed two of the best teams in the second division – St. Pauli and full debutant Holstein Kiel. After the first few days, the two newcomers appeared to be serious candidates for relegation, and this impression has not significantly changed despite some localized success. The ‘Pirates’ were led into the Bundesliga by 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler, who took charge of English side Brighton and Hove in the summer, while the team’s top scorer was striker Marcel Hartl, who also changed clubs during the off-season. The Hamburg team have signed several new players, but their squad remains one of the weakest in the Bundesliga, so if they end up facing relegation it won’t be a surprise. Or maybe Alexander Blessin will perform a real miracle, like what Frank Schmidt did with Heidenheim last season. However, no signs of such a miracle are evident at present.
In six league days, St. Pauli managed to surprise twice – drawing 0-0 at home against RB Leipzig and winning 3-0 away against a currently strong Freiburg side at the end of September. In both cases, the “Pirates” were very lucky, but this was to the advantage of their opponents. Before these results, Alexander Blessin’s team had suffered three consecutive defeats, only managing to score in their third match of the championship – 0-2 against Heidenheim, 0-1 against Union, and 1-3 against Augsburg. It looked like the success in Freiburg would inspire the St. Pauli players to their first home victory of the season, but no – they ultimately lost humiliatingly 0-3 against Mainz.
Predictable Lineups: Borussia vs. St. Pauli
Before the international break, Borussia were missing Giovanni Reyna and man of the match against Celtic, Karim Adeyemi. Both remain on the flank, while they are now joined by new full-back Jan Kouto and wing Julien Duranville, who also missed significant time due to injuries following his transfer from Anderlecht at the age of 16 years in January 2023. The participation of Niklas Sule and Maximilian Bayer, who were ill during the week, is also in question. For St. Pauli, three substitute goalkeepers (Burkhardt, Alers and Fall), midfielders Connor Metcalf and Carlo Buchalfa, wingers Elias Saad and Danil Sinani, as well as striker Simon Zoller remain unavailable.
Author’s Prediction: Borussia vs. St. Pauli
The last meeting between Borussia and St. Pauli in January 2022, during the DFB-Pokal, ended in a 2-1 victory for the “Pirates”. However, in the Bundesliga, Dortmund are currently displaying complete dominance over this opponent, with nine wins in their last ten meetings and just one draw. Regarding the upcoming clash, I see no other outcome than a confident victory for the hosts. Therefore, I am not going to make anything up in my prediction.
