Bayern Munich welcome struggling St Pauli to the Allianz Arena on Saturday afternoon in a Matchday 12 clash that already feels pretty loaded. The Bavarians are still licking their wounds from the midweek Champions League loss to Arsenal, a result covered in detail by SoftFootball.
Even with that setback, Bayern stay top of the Bundesliga and have not dropped much momentum at home. St Pauli, on the other side, arrive with eight straight league defeats and a serious shortage of goals. SoftFootball also highlighted how Michael Olise sparked Bayern’s recent league comeback win over Freiburg, and he’s expected to be important again.
Bayern’s numbers remain ridiculous. They have scored in every league match this season and are averaging well over three goals per game. The unbeaten league start, the chance to equal their run of consecutive matches scoring twice, and their strong home form all create a feeling that this team is in a record-setting mood.
St Pauli, meanwhile, sit deep in trouble, having failed to score in five of their last six matches while also dealing with several injuries. Their xG remains the lowest in the division, which says a lot.
Harry Kane is still carrying Bayern’s attack with 14 league goals and a bunch of assists, while Olise’s form keeps rising. For St Pauli, Andreas Hountondji is one of the few bright sparks, though he’ll have very little space to work with against Bayern’s pressing.
St Pauli coach Alexander Blessin says his side must annoy Bayern and stay compact, though that’s easier to say than do. Vincent Kompany admitted in the press conference shared on the club’s official X account that the defeat to Arsenal was painful but insists the team has learnt and already moved on.
Bayern Munich posted:
𝗩𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗞𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁
It helped watching the game again. I think after the game you very quickly turn to the next, but we can’t move on without learning from it. We were solid in the opening hour, on a par with them away in London. The final 30 minutes then wasn’t our level. Arsenal took the upper hand and deserved to win. It wasn’t an issue of the 90 minutes but the final 30.
Team News
Bayern will miss Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala. Sergé Gnabry is back, and Manuel Neuer should start after recovering fully. St Pauli remain without Erik Ahlstrand, Adam Dzwigala, Marwin Schmitz, and David Nemeth. Manolis Saliakas is doubtful.
Possible Lineups
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Boey, Upamecano, Kim, Bischof; Kimmich, Goretzka; Karl, Olise, Diaz; Kane.
St Pauli (3-5-2): Vasilj; Wahl, Smith, Mets; Pyrka, Fujita, Sands, Irvine, Oppie; Hountondji, Pereira Lage.
Softfootball’s Prediction
Bayern look set to respond strongly after the midweek loss, and with their scoring streak alive, a home win feels sure.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-0 St Pauli
