The games are coming thick and fast across Europe, and in the Bundesliga, teams will treat us with Matchday 29 of the 2025/26 season. The action on Saturday will start with four simultaneous matches before ending with FC St. Pauli vs Bayern Munich at the Millerntor Stadium.
FC St. Pauli will face a crucial month to remain in the Bundesliga beyond the 2025/26 season. The Neighbourhood Kickers are 16th on the table, four points ahead of 17th-placed VfL Wolfsburg. So, each point is crucial for Alexander Blessin’s charges despite Wolfsburg’s bizarre winless run.
On the other hand, the Bundesliga title appears to be a formality for Bayern Munich, with Die Roten nine points ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund. However, with Vincent Kompany’s men hoping to go all the way in the UEFA Champions League, they will aim to wrap up the league as soon as possible.
The reverse fixture saw Bayern Munich come from a goal down to beat St. Pauli 3-1, with Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson scoring in injury time to seal the three points. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Alexander Blessin has a new roster issue that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The FC St. Pauli head coach will be bereft of the services of half a dozen first-team players vs Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Jackson Irvine is the latest absentee after being sent off in the Bundesliga game against Union Berlin last weekend. Additionally, Simon Spari (ankle), Manolis Saliakas (thigh), James Sands (ankle), Eric Smith (calf), and Ricky-Jade Jones (ankle) are in the treatment room.
Nikola Vasilj will take his spot between the sticks, with FC St. Pauli lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Bayern Munich on Saturday. The central defensive unit will feature Hauke Wahl, Tomoya Ando, and Karol Mets. Meanwhile, Arkadiusz Pyrka and Lars Ritzka will start as the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the three centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Joel Chima Fujita and Mathias Rasmussen in the middle of the park in Irvine’s absence. Finally, Andreas Hountondji will lead the line for FC St. Pauli against Bayern Munich, with Danel Sinani and Mathias Pereira Lage completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Vasilj; Wahl, Ando, Mets; Pyrka, Fujita, Rasmussen, Ritzka; Sinani, Pereira Lage; Hountondji
Unlike his counterpart in the FC St. Pauli dugout, Vincent Kompany has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Millerntor-Stadion. The Bayern Munich head coach will be without two first-team players on Saturday.
Sven Ulreich (groin) and Lennart Karl (hamstring) are the only players in the treatment room. Otherwise, Kompany has a full-strength squad, with the Belgian tactician set to have a fully-fit group for the first time in weeks.
Manuel Neuer is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Bayern Munich lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs FC St. Pauli on Saturday. The backline will feature Konrad Laimer, Kim Min-jae, Hiroki Ito, and Raphael Guerreiro.
As for the midfield unit, Tom Bischof should line up alongside Leon Goretzka in the double pivot in the middle of the park. Jamal Musiala will reprise the no. 10 role, with Serge Gnabry and Alphonso Davies being the two wide attackers. Finally, Nicolas Jackson will spearhead the Bayern Munich attack against FC St. Pauli. So, Harry Kane, Luis Diaz, and Michael Olise will be among the backup options on the bench for the away side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Laimer, Kim, Ito, Guerreiro; Goretzka, Bischof; Gnabry, Musiala, Davies; Jackson
While Jamal Musiala, Andreas Hountondji, and Danel Sinani were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Nicolas Jackson as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Bundesliga match between FC St. Pauli and Bayern Munich at the Millerntor Stadium.
With Vincent Kompany set to ring in the changes and rest several regular starters, Jackson will get an opportunity to make his mark. However, widespread reports have suggested that a permanent move to the Bavarian club will not materialise this summer. So, amid his links with other well-known clubs, Saturday’s outing will be an audition for his prospective suitors.
FC St. Pauli may be a team that barely troubles the scorers, but they have become renowned for their resilience and gusto this season. So, the hosts should take the game to Bayern Munich and play a closely-contested first half, as was the case in the reverse fixture.
However, as the minutes wear on, the gulf in quality will become clear through the output on the pitch. Nicolas Jackson and Jamal Musiala will deliver the goods in the final third, earning Bayern Munich a hard-fought victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Vincent Kompany and his charges.
