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.