Dillan George
Dailysports's expert
Bayer Leverkusen
St. Pauli
Bonus up to $130/€100
On Saturday, December 7, Bayer Leverkusen will host St. Pauli in the 13th round of the Bundesliga. The match kicks off at 15:30 CET. I recommend betting on the winner with a handicap in this game.
Interesting facts about the match and head-to-head history
- Bayer has lost only one domestic match since May 2023.
- Over 2.5 goals have been scored in 9 of Bayer's 12 Bundesliga matches.
- Bayer is on a four-match winning streak across all competitions.
- Only 1 of St. Pauli's last 5 matches has featured more than 2 goals.
- This will be the first meeting between these teams since 2011.
- In 22 historical matches, St. Pauli holds the edge with 8 wins compared to Bayer's 7, with 7 draws.
Match preview
Bayer Leverkusen is once again showing the form that made them a force in last season's Bundesliga. After a series of disappointing results, Xabi Alonso's side has rediscovered its winning ways and now appears unstoppable. Bayer sits 3rd in the Bundesliga with 23 points, trailing Bayern Munich by 7 points.
On Tuesday, Bayer shocked Bayern Munich in the DFB-Pokal Round of 16, winning 1-0 in Munich after playing with a numerical advantage from the 18th minute. Nathan Tella scored the decisive goal in the second half. In the Bundesliga, Bayer secured a 2-1 away win over Union Berlin in the last round, following an impressive 5-2 comeback victory against Heidenheim.
In the Champions League, Bayer has 10 points from 5 matches and recently demolished Red Bull Salzburg 5-0 at home.
St. Pauli, last season’s 2. Bundesliga champions, lost head coach Fabian Hürzeler in the summer. With limited potential, the "Pirates" are focused solely on survival this season—and so far, they are managing to stay afloat.
After 12 rounds, St. Pauli sits just above the relegation zone in 15th place, with a slim 1-point cushion over 16th-placed Heidenheim. In their last Bundesliga outing, Alexander Blessin's side secured a crucial 3-1 victory over direct rivals Holstein Kiel. Before that, they suffered defeats to Borussia Mönchengladbach (0-2) and Bayern Munich (0-1).
Predicted lineups
- Bayer Leverkusen: Hrádecký (c) - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapié - Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo - Wirtz, García - Tella
- St. Pauli: Vasilj - Wahl, Smith, Nemeth - Saliakas, Irvine (c), Boukhalfa, Treu - Afolayan, Eggestein, Guilavogui
Prediction for Bayer Leverkusen vs St. Pauli
While St. Pauli has shown decent form, it’s difficult to see how they can stop Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena. My prediction: Bayer Leverkusen win with a -2 handicap.
Bonus up to $130/€100
