The last time Borussia Dortmund traveled to St. Pauli and walked through their famed “Gates of Hell,” the context was much different. The year was 2022, Marco Rose was in charge, and Erling Haaland led the team’s attack. St. Pauli, on the other hand, was a second-division squad with nothing to lose. It was a last-sixteenth match in the DFB Pokal. St. Pauli took an early lead through Togolese striker Etienne Amenyido before doubling their advantage through an Axel Witsel own goal. Halland scored a PK, but it wasn’t enough. St. Pauli went on to win 2-1 and then lose to Union Berlin in the quarterfinals.
But that was two years ago, and this is a totally different season. Borussia Dortmund has struggled all year but finally found some defensive stability under Niko Kovač and won big last weekend. St. Pauli is in the Bundesliga this season, not the second division. They’re not competing for a trophy but instead for the right to stay in the league another season. Yet St. Pauli has the quality to avoid a bottom-three finish, and they may try to capitalize on BVB’s inconsistencies. Either way, this is sure to be an exciting one to watch. Keep reading for further insights, players to watch, and predicted lineups: