Bundesliga PREVIEW | Borussia Dortmund vs St. Pauli – Can BVB keep their Friday night record intact?

Borussia Dortmund host St. Pauli at the Westfalenstadion as they look to keep their outstanding Friday night record intact. Die Schwarzgelben are unbeaten in their last 38 league games in front of their own fans on a Friday, with their previous loss coming against Ruhr rivals Schalke 04 in January 2004 – a record that’s span over 20 years.

Neighbours Bochum almost ended that record on Matchday 5, and Nuri Şahin will be keen to ensure that the same doesn’t happen here after Dortmund found themselves 2-0 down inside 21 minutes in September, before mounting a comeback to clinch a 4-2 win.

Borussia Dortmund have won each of their three games at home this season: Eintracht Frankfurt (2-0), Heidenheim (4-2) and Bochum (4-2), but their performances haven’t been as convincing as fans had hoped.

They will also have to do it without Yan Couto, Giovanni Reyna and Karim Adeyemi, while Julien Duranville is also absent. Niklas Süle, Julian Ryerson and Maximilian Beier all face a race to be fit, but Şahin did confirm that Serhou Guirassy would start for BVB.

St. Pauli have suffered a difficult time since their return to the Bundesliga. With a minimal budget, they lost head coach Fabian Hürzeler to Brighton and Hove Albion, while they started their Bundesliga campaign with three successive defeats.

But a commendable 0-0 draw against RB Leipzig and their first win of the season, a 3-0 win at Freiburg, followed. However, they come into this game after a 3-0 defeat against Mainz 05.

Elias Saad, who has four goal contributions (two goals and two assists) in six Bundesliga games this season, will be a huge miss for the visitors – he is absent with a ligament injury.

Predicted Borussia Dortmund vs St. Pauli Starting XIs

Borussia Dortmund: Kobel – Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini – Can, Groß – Sabitzer, Brandt, Gittens – Guirassy

St. Pauli: Vasilj – Wahl, Smith, Mets – Saliakas, Irvine, Wagner, Treu – Banks, Eggestein, Afolayan

GGFN | Daniel Pinder