Bayer Leverkusen will look to take another step towards a potential repeat of their 2023/24 DFB-Pokal triumph when they welcome an out-of-form St. Pauli to the BayArena with a semi-final place on the ...
Bayer Leverkusen will look to take another step towards a potential repeat of their 2023/24 DFB-Pokal triumph when they welcome an out-of-form St. Pauli to the BayArena with a semi-final place on the line.
Leverkusen come into this fixture in solid form, having won three consecutive matches in all competitions. Their most recent outing saw them claim an impressive 3-1 away victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday, a result that lifted Die Werkself up to sixth in the table. With relegation-threatened St. Pauli visiting, Leverkusen will understandably fancy their chances of progression, particularly given they have suffered just one defeat in 13 meetings with teams currently below them in the standings this season.
Their route to the quarter-finals included a well-deserved 1-0 victory away to Borussia Dortmund, where a disciplined defensive performance was rewarded by Ibrahim Maza’s first-half strike. Kasper Hjulmand, however, will be without the creative Algerian midfielder this time, as Maza remains sidelined with a knee injury.
The Leverkusen head coach has been clear about the importance of the competition and the opportunity it presents:
“The players and I are very, very motivated to win something. My children are always asking, 'What have you won?' It's important to win something, and here's a chance to win a trophy this season," Hjulmand explained, adding: "We're two games away from a big final. That's a huge motivation."
St. Pauli, meanwhile, are enduring a difficult spell at the wrong end of the Bundesliga table. Alexander Blessin’s side are winless in their last six league matches (D3, L3) and currently sit 17th, five points adrift of safety. Saturday’s damaging 2-1 defeat away to Augsburg only compounded their problems, as the league’s lowest-scoring attack once again struggled to turn chances into goals.
Their Pokal run has, however, provided a rare bright spot. St. Pauli reached the quarter-finals courtesy of a shock but impressive 2-1 victory away to Borussia Mönchengladbach, with Martijn Kaars and Louis Oppie on the scoresheet at Borussia-Park. Blessin will be hoping the cup can once again serve as a source of momentum as his side look to halt their slide.
In an attempt to address their attacking issues, St. Pauli dipped into the transfer market over the weekend, announcing the signing of Japanese forward Taichi Hara on a free transfer from J-League side Kyoto Sanga. The 26-year-old is expected to provide competition for Ricky-Jade Jones and Kaars, with Andreas Hountondji currently sidelined.
Since St. Pauli’s return to the Bundesliga in 2024, Leverkusen remain unbeaten against the Hamburg-based club, winning two and drawing one of their three meetings. Die Werkself will also aim to extend their run of five consecutive DFB-Pokal home victories, while it is worth noting that two of St. Pauli’s three away wins in 13 matches across all competitions this season have come in the Pokal.
Team news
Bayer Leverkusen: Mark Flekken, Ibrahim Maza, Eliesse Ben Seghir and Nathan Tella are all expected to miss out.
St. Pauli: Hauke Wahl, Adam Dzwigala, Connor Metcalfe, Andreas Hountondji and David Nemeth remain unavailable.
Predicted lineups
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Blaswich (GK) - Quansah, Badé, Tapsoba - Arthur, Fernandez, Garcia, Grimaldo - Tillman, Terrier - Schick
St. Pauli (3-4-2-1): Vasilj (GK) - Ando, Smith, Mets - Saliakas, Sands, Rasmussen, Pyrka - Sinani, Fujita - Jones
Category: General Sports
