Bundesliga: The Blessings Keep on Coming for St. Pauli

VfB Stuttgart vs FC St. Pauli

FC St. Pauli are punching above their weight in their second consecutive Bundesliga season, as they’re one of the four undefeated teams left in the league. With two wins and one draw, Alexander Blessin’s men have seven points, level with second-seeded Borussia Dortmund and third-seeded Koln.

After holding Borussia Dortmund to a thrilling 3-3 draw in the opener, FC St. Pauli defeated Hamburger SV and Augsburg. Their confidence is at an all-time high, and they’re keen to sustain their momentum when they visit VfB Stuttgart at the MHPArena this Friday evening.

VfB Stuttgart are 12th in the German top-flight table with three points. Sebastian Hoeneß’ men lost 2-1 to Union Berlin, won 1-0 against Borussia Monchengladbach, and lost 3-1 to SC Freiburg last weekend. They will also start their Europa League campaign next week, so they hope to regain their form quickly.

 

Talking Points

VfB Stuttgart are short up front

VfB Stuttgart are struggling at the moment in the final third, as they’ve scored exactly one goal per Bundesliga contest this season. This is not surprising, as Die Schwaben are missing their best forwards.

Head coach Sebastian Hoeneß no longer has Nick Woltemade, as the front office decided to cash in on the German striker. VfB Stuttgart received £64.9 million from Newcastle United for Woltemade, who scored 17 goals in 33 appearances last season and was instrumental to their DFB-Pokal triumph.

VfB Stuttgart also suffered a huge injury blow to Deniz Undav, as the former Brighton man sustained a serious knee injury that will keep him out for at least one month during the first 15 minutes of their 1-0 win against Borussia Monchengladbach. 

With Undav absent and Woltemade gone, VfB Stuttgart will rely heavily on Ermedin Demirovic to lead up front, and there will be more opportunities for Tiago Tomas, Chris Fuhrich, Jamie Lewelling, Badredine Bounani, and Bilal El Khannouss. Bounani and El Khannouss joined the team during the summer transfer window deadline and have already left a lasting impression on Hoeneß.

But besides their attack, VfB Stuttgart are steady in the middle of the park and at the backline, with Angelo Stiller, Atakan Karazor, Jeff Chabot, Maxmilian Mittlestadt, Josha Vagnoman, and goalkeeper Alexander Nubel holding it down there.

 

FC St. Pauli have a revamped attack

FC St. Pauli are experiencing success early this season, as they’ve found their groove in the final third. Following their six-goal thriller against Borussia Dortmund, Die Kiezkicker scored four more goals against Hamburger SV and Augsburg.

One key to FC St. Pauli’s newfound attacking prowess has been Andreas Hountoundji, who joined the club in the summer transfer window on a season-long loan from Burnley. Hountoundji became the first FC St. Pauli player to score in each of their first three matches of a Bundesliga campaign with his crucial equaliser against Augsburg last time out.

Danel Sinani also deserves plaudits for embracing his bigger role and finding his form early this season, as he has already matched his goal total from last term in just their three opening matches (2).

 

History

FC St. Pauli secured their Bundesliga promotion with a 3-1 win over VfL Osnabrück in May 2024. It was their first trip back to the German top-flight since 2011, and they’ve done well to keep their place last term, finishing 14th in the table with 32 points.

VfB Stuttgart split their two league encounters with FC St. Pauli last season. Die Kiezkicker scored a 1-0 upset at the MHPArena, as Johannes Eggestein scored the marginal goal in the 21st minute. Before this, VfB Stuttgart were unbeaten in their last 10 matches against FC St. Pauli across all competitions (W9, D1). 

Die Schwaben returned the favour in the reverse fixture at Millerntor-Stadion last May, as Nick Woltemade scored right before stoppage time against the nine-man hosts.

 

Betting Tip

The Bundesliga 2025 odds expect VfB Stuttgart to restore order this Friday evening. Die Schwaben are 1.74 favourites to win, whereas Die Kiezkicker are 4.11 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.54 in the 1X2 market.

Bundesliga 2025 highlights might be few and far between in this fixture, based on their recent encounters, hence our recommended bet above. SBOTOP bettors can also add Under 3.00 at 1.68, Under 2.75 at 1.92, and even Total Goal 0-1 at 3.60 to the parlay to double down on this. Moreover, a Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of VfB Stuttgart – the result of their most recent meeting – is on offer at 7.50 your bet.

   

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