Dortmund Aim to Extend Home Dominance Against Struggling St. Pauli
Borussia Dortmund continues to be a perplexing team in the Bundesliga, showing both brilliance and vulnerability. Their latest setback came in a 2-1 defeat to Union Berlin right before the international break, despite head coach Nuri Şahin’s strong words after their crushing 5-1 loss to Stuttgart on matchday four, where he declared, “I never want to see this face of my team again.” Yet, in between those disappointing losses, Dortmund showcased resilience by coming back from 2-0 down to beat Bochum 4-2, followed by a record-breaking 7-1 demolition of Celtic in the UEFA Champions League.
Currently sitting seventh in the table, Dortmund has conceded at least two goals in each of their last four Bundesliga matches, marking their worst start (W3, D1, L2) since the 2014/15 season. However, they’ve been formidable at home, leading the division’s home form table with all three of their league victories this season coming at Signal Iduna Park. A remarkable 38-game unbeaten run at home in Friday-held league matches (W29, D9) suggests that they are well-positioned to extend that streak.
St. Pauli, meanwhile, has struggled to build momentum after securing their first Bundesliga win since February 2011, a 3-0 victory over Freiburg. They followed that up with a disappointing 3-0 home defeat to Mainz, where manager Alexander Blessin criticized his team for gifting goals to their opponents. St. Pauli’s last trip to Dortmund was in 2011, and they’ve never won there (D3, L7), a record they’ll be eager to break.
Despite the setback against Mainz, the win over Freiburg appeared to signal a turning point for St. Pauli, but their inability to score has been a major issue. They’ve failed to find the net in a league-high four matches this season. However, all four of their Bundesliga goals in the current campaign have come away from home, which could offer them a glimmer of hope, especially considering Dortmund’s defensive struggles.
Key players to watch include Donyell Malen for Dortmund, who has been in fine form, scoring six of his last seven Bundesliga goals at home. For St. Pauli, Jackson Irvine is one to keep an eye on. As one of only two players remaining from their last competitive meeting with Dortmund in January 2022, Irvine has scored ten of his 15 goals for the club with his head.
A noteworthy stat: Dortmund has won all three of their home league games this season by a two-goal margin and achieved the same result in their last encounter with St. Pauli at Signal Iduna Park, winning 2-0.