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Bayern Munich have already set the benchmark in the Bundesliga with an emphatic win against RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga curtain-raiser on Friday night, and now it’s Borussia Dortmund’s turn to turn on the style against St. Pauli in the Topspiel on Saturday evening.
Under Niko Kovac, Borussia Dortmund are one of the Bundesliga’s more consistent teams. In truth, they’re probably one of two teams that can challenge Bayern Munich this season, but they’re likely two signings away from a title winning team with a central-defender and a six still needed. Jobe Bellingham is an excellent addition to the team, and the Englishman serves as a more complete profile than his older brother Jude – Jobe should start at the Millerntor on Saturday.
Borussia Dortmund will be without Niklas Süle, Nico Schlotterbeck and Emre Can, which means we should see Filippo Mane in central defence again, the 20-year-old making his Bundesliga debut. Surprisingly, Yan Couto flew to Hamburg on Friday and Julian Ryerson is also available. Gio Reyna is one player who didn’t travel with a move to Gladbach pending.
As for St. Pauli, it will be more of the same. They finished last season as the league’s lowest scorers with just 28 goals in 34 games. They’ve also lost Morgan Guilavogui and Elias Saad but they’ve tried to rectify that with the signings of Andréas Hountondji and Ricky-Jade Jones. The reason St. Pauli beat the drop last season as Alexander Blessin’s pragmatic approach, and expect to be the case again this season. Don’t expect them to set the world alight, but on occasion they will prove tough to beat and will grind out a 1-0 win. Dortmund will know the threat St. Pauli pose all too well after the Hamburg club almost took two points off BVB at the Westfalenstadion last season.
St. Pauli vs Borussia Dortmund – Ones to Watch
St. Pauli – Nikola Vasilj (29): Although St. Pauli finished just three points above the relegation playoff, it wasn’t their defence that was problematic. It was their inability to convert chances. Defensively, St. Pauli were solid. In fact, Nikola Vasilj was one of the leading goalkeepers in the Bundesliga last season as the Hamburg club conceded just 41 goals in 34 games, boasting the second best defence after Bayern Munich.
Borussia Dortmund – Serhou Guirassy (29): If there’s one player to challenge Harry Kane for the Bundesliga’s top scorer, it’s going to be the Borussia Dortmund forward. The Guinean is clinical inside the area and poses a constant threat. He’s already off the mark this season with the winning goal against Rot-Weiss Essen in the DFB Pokal, and fans will be hoping their prized asset stays fit. Guirassy scored 21 goals in 30 Bundesliga games for Dortmund last season.
GGFN | Daniel Pinder
