Kovac postpones rendering verdict on Dortmund's case
In the upcoming Bundesliga season opener, Borussia Dortmund host St. Pauli, a team aiming to avoid a repeat of their last season's fate where they lost the first match at home to Heidenheim. However, it's worth noting that St. Pauli have never started two consecutive Bundesliga seasons with a defeat.
For Borussia Dortmund, this encounter marks the beginning of their second successive Bundesliga campaign since 1995-96 and 1996-97. The hosts are in good form, having won 22 out of 24 possible points over the last eight matchdays of the 2024-25 season, a league-best total. They also ended the season with five consecutive wins, their best streak since 2023, scoring at least three goals in each match.
Niko Kovac, the Borussia Dortmund manager, will be keeping a close eye on key players like Jude Bellingham and Karim Adeyemi. Adeyemi, who impressed last season with 21 goal contributions, and Bellingham, known for his strong midfield presence, are expected to play significant roles in the match against St. Pauli.
St. Pauli, on the other hand, will be relying on their new signing Mathias Pereira Lage, who joins from French club Brest. Lage, who scored 16 goals and provided 16 assists in 160 appearances in Ligue 1, is set to make his Bundesliga debut.
Meanwhile, Serhou Guirassy, who scored 21 goals in the last Bundesliga season, second only to Bayern's Harry Kane, will be a threat for St. Pauli. Guirassy ended last season on a five-match scoring spree and if he scores here, he will equal his personal record of six successive games with a goal.
Interestingly, Borussia Dortmund have won 11 of their last 12 Bundesliga encounters against St. Pauli. St. Pauli, however, managed to concede only 41 goals in 34 games in their first campaign back in the top flight, with only champions Bayern Munich conceding fewer.
The Opta win probability for St. Pauli is 22.9%, while for Borussia Dortmund it is 52.7%, and the probability of a draw is 24.4%.
As Kovac stated, he will not judge Borussia Dortmund's Bundesliga season performance until six games have been played. But with their current form and the focus on key players, Borussia Dortmund are favourites to start the season with a win.
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