FC St. Pauli
- FC St. Pauli are struggling in the Bundesliga after 20 fixtures, sitting 17th in the relegation zone on 14 points with only one win and one draw in their last dozen clashes with VfB Stuttgart.
- But the tactics have not brought points and St. Pauli are winless in their last five in all competitions (D2, L3) with a lack of finishers hampering their ability to make their numerical superiority count in the final third.
- Joel Chima Fujita and Eric Smith have screened the defence well and have often been the source of St. Pauli’s counter-attacking threat.
- However, injury problems mean they have been unable to repeat the trick lately and Blessin’s side have struggled to find the net.
VfB Stuttgart
- VfB Stuttgart are flying high in fourth place on 39 points after 20 fixtures.
- Sebastian Hoeneß has done a brilliant job so far with Stuttgart, who are currently placed fourth in the Bundesliga and in the mix for European qualification in 2025-2026.
- The Swabians have won three of their last five in Bundesliga and Europa League, including a 3-0 away win at Gladbach and a 3-2 victory over Young Boys.
- Angelo Stiller and Atakan Karazor have done well to anchor the midfield, which dictates tempo and shields the back four, while Jamie Leweling has been a whirlwind of skill on the counter-attack.
- Deniz Undav is also in great form, with 11 Bundesliga goals this season, and has directly contributed to several goals in January.
Head-to-Head
- Stuttgart have won 9 of the last 11 - 12 head-to-head encounters in all competitions.
- including a 2-0 away win and a 1-0 success at Millerntor in 2025.
FC St. Pauli
- Joel Chima Fujita and Eric Smith have screened the defence well and have often been the source of St. Pauli’s counter-attacking threat.
- Pauli will need a big performance from goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj to stand a chance as Stuttgart’s forward line could pull them apart.
VfB Stuttgart
- Jamie Leweling has been a whirlwind of skill on the counter-attack.
- Deniz Undav is also in great form, with 11 Bundesliga goals this season, and has directly contributed to several goals in January.
Betting Insights
- Stuttgart are clear favorites for this clash at 1.81, with St. Pauli outsiders at 4.2 and the draw at 3.6.
- There could be a goal line to draw in the Under 2.5 goals market at 1.85 if St. Pauli set up deep.
Prediction
- Stuttgart have the better players, the momentum of wins, a European qualification target and a hot scorer on their side, so we will take them to win on Saturday.
- The game will be played in chilly and slippery conditions at Millerntor, which should favour the more physical Stuttgart side and they should dominate possession while creating the better chances.
- Pauli boss Blessin has used a disciplined, risk-averse approach, but in the current circumstances his side do not look capable of disrupting Stuttgart’s rhythm in central areas.
