St. Pauli and Borussia Dortmund Kick Off Bundesliga Season with High Stakes Clash
Hamburg, Germany – The 2023-24 Bundesliga season begins this Saturday with a compelling matchup as St. Pauli hosts Borussia Dortmund at the Millerntor-Stadion. Both sides enter the contest buoyed by recent positive results, but with contrasting ambitions for the campaign ahead. St. Pauli, fresh off a DFB-Pokal victory over Eintracht Norderstedt, are embracing a confident outlook, with manager Fabian Hürzeler stating, “We’re clear favourites [to progress in the cup] and want to take the role on.” Dortmund, simultaneously occurring, aims to translate a strong finish to last season and a busy summer of transfer activity into a genuine title challenge.
The fixture marks the start of a new era for both clubs. St.Pauli enjoyed a triumphant pre-season, culminating in thier penalty shootout win against Norderstedt in the first round of the DFB-Pokal.This victory underscores a growing belief within the club, fueled by a cohesive team spirit and tactical clarity under Hürzeler.
Borussia Dortmund finished 5th in the Bundesliga last season, securing a Champions League berth but falling short of their own expectations. The club’s summer transfer window has proven challenging, with several targeted players opting for moves elsewhere. Despite missing out on signings like Claudio Echeverri, Dortmund has added promising talent, notably midfielder Jobe Bellingham. Coach Niko Kovac has emphasized the team’s determination to build on late-season momentum, including a strong showing at the recent Club World Cup, and mount a serious challenge for the Bundesliga title.
Dortmund’s late-season form provides a foundation of optimism. While the transfer window hasn’t yielded all desired results, the core of a talented squad remains intact. Kovac will be looking to integrate Bellingham and other new additions quickly to maximize the team’s potential.Form:
St. Pauli: Win (via penalty shootout) against Eintracht Norderstedt in DFB-Pokal. Remarkable pre-season form.
Borussia Dortmund: Win against RW Essen in the DFB-Pokal.Opened the season with a victory and will be looking for a strong start to the Bundesliga campaign.
Predicted Lineups:
St. Pauli: Vasilj; Pyrka, Nemeth, Smith, Wahl, oppie; Fujita, Sands; Pereira Lage, Sinani, Hountondji.
Borussia dortmund: Kobel; Mane, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Gross, Sabitzer, Bellingham, Svensson; Guirassy, Adeyemi.
How to Watch:
UK and global football fans can watch St. Pauli vs. Borussia Dortmund live on DAZN.