Five defeats in a row, seven months without a Bundesliga win: When St. Pauli meet bottom-of-the-table Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Millerntor Stadium on Saturday afternoon, both teams will be under enormous pressure. The hosts are in 14th place with seven points, while the Foals are bottom of the table with just three points. This match is crucial for both clubs, as a win would take some of the immediate pressure off and give them some breathing space in the table.
The recent form curves could hardly be more different: While St. Pauli showed a strong reaction in the DFB Cup during the week, knocking out Hoffenheim after a dramatic penalty shootout, Gladbach has been waiting seven months for a league win. Although the Foals also had a cup success against Karlsruhe, the situation in the league remains precarious.
Both teams have to cope with absences. St. Pauli are missing the injured Nemeth and Jones, while Gladbach have to do without key players such as Kleindienst, Hack, and Ngoumou, which further weakens the visitors’ offensive power. The home advantage and Gladbach’s recent defensive problems favor the Kiezkickers.
- Venue: Millerntor Stadium, Hamburg
- Date and time: November 1, 2025, 3:30 p.m.
- Competition: Bundesliga (Matchday 9)
Surprisingly, the analysis points to a possible away win for Gladbach: St. Pauli has not won in five games and has not scored a single goal in the second halves of the last 450 minutes, while Gladbach has been successful in four of its last five games despite the absence of Kleindienst. A double chance X2 seems like a sensible, more defensive alternative, as the betting market favors St. Pauli, but the form curves reveal clear weaknesses on the part of the home team.
The Over 2.5 Goals bet looks particularly attractive, as both teams are currently conceding goals on a regular basis: Gladbach in 80% of their recent games, St. Pauli in all of their last five encounters. The combination of St. Pauli’s defensive problems and Gladbach’s recent offensive approaches points to an open encounter with goal-scoring potential.
St. Pauli form & record check
St. Pauli has lost its last five Bundesliga games in a row, most recently 0-2 in Frankfurt. Alexander Blessin’s team often relied on a deep defensive line, but was regularly overcome, especially in the second half. Goalkeeper Vasilj did not look happy when Burkardt scored the first goal.
In their most recent league games, they suffered home defeats against Hoffenheim (0-3) and Leverkusen (1-2) as well as a 0-1 loss in Bremen. It is striking that St. Pauli conceded goals in all five games and failed to score in the second 45 minutes. The team is currently in 14th place with seven points, level on points with Augsburg and just one point behind HSV.
However, there was a positive sign in the DFB Cup: St. Pauli won 8:7 in a dramatic penalty shootout against Hoffenheim. Wahl gave them the lead, Prömel equalized, Pereira Lage scored late in extra time, and the subsequent penalty shootout, with a total of 18 converted penalties, showed nerves of steel. The cup victory provides a short-term boost to morale, but does nothing to change the defensive problems and weakness in the second half.
Coach Alexander Blessin is unlikely to make many changes to his lineup after the dramatic cup triumph against Hoffenheim and will once again rely on his usual 3-4-2-1 formation. Vasilj will be between the posts despite his recent mistake in Frankfurt, while the back three of Wahl, Smith, and Mets seems pretty much set.
In midfield, Irvine could provide the necessary stability alongside Fujita. Saliakas and Pyrka should provide width on the flanks and support the wings offensively. In attack, Metcalfe and Afolayan are likely to play behind Hountondji. The injured Nemeth and Jones are still out, with veterans such as Dzwigala and offensive alternatives such as Sinani and Kaars waiting on the bench.
Gladbach Form & Record Check
Borussia Mönchengladbach is in a serious crisis: no Bundesliga win in seven months, 18th place with three points from eight games, five consecutive defeats in the league. The gap to 1. FC Heidenheim is only one point, and the sporting situation is worrying.
The latest results speak for themselves: 0-3 against Bayern, 1-3 against Union, 4-6 against Frankfurt. The 0-0 draw against Freiburg now seems like a ray of hope. In four of the last five league games, the team has conceded several goals, showing particular vulnerability after halftime.
In the DFB Cup, they managed a 3-1 win against second division side Karlsruher SC with goals from Machino, Elvedi, and Tabakovic. Sporting director Rouven Schröder described this victory as a “first step,” but warned that it alone would not be enough to save the team.
The personnel situation is exacerbating the problems considerably: Kleindienst is out until mid-November with a meniscus injury, as is Hack with meniscus problems. Ngoumou is out long-term with a torn Achilles tendon, Chiarodia with a torn muscle bundle. Schröder is already dampening expectations for the winter break, as financial resources for major reinforcements are limited.
Coach Eugen Polanski is apparently planning a back three with Nicolas in goal. Diks, Elvedi, and Sander will form the defense, while Engelhardt and Reitz will act as central midfield anchors. Honorat and Netz will occupy the wings, with Stöger playing behind the striking duo of Machino and Tabakovic.
The important absences of Kleindienst, Hack, Ngoumou, and Chiarodia are forcing changes. As a result, Tabakovic will move up to the front. Reyna, Neuhaus, and Ranos, among others, are ready on the bench.
St. Pauli – Gladbach Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The record for the last five encounters is even: two wins each for St. Pauli and Gladbach, plus one draw. The most recent result in April ended 1-1 at the Millerntor, with St. Pauli equalizing. In November 2024, Gladbach won 2-0 away.
St. Pauli has scored in the last three competitive and friendly matches against Gladbach, a streak that began in 2023 with a 1-0 friendly win. Gladbach, on the other hand, has conceded at least one goal in each of these three games and shows defensive vulnerability against Hamburg.
The matches have mostly been high-scoring: four of the last five games had more than 1.5 goals, and in 80% of the games, both teams scored. Only the November 2024 game remained without a goal from St. Pauli. History suggests an offensive encounter with goals on both sides, with both “both teams to score” and over 1.5 goals being likely scenarios.
