Preview: Bayer Leverkusen vs St Pauli - prediction, team news, lineups

Bayer Leverkusen will be looking to enhance their top-four hopes when they welcome a rejuvenated St Pauli side to the BayArena this Saturday afternoon.

Die Werkself are in great recent form, but they still find themselves four points adrift of those all-important Champions League places. The Kiezkickers, on the other hand, have boosted their survival hopes with a win over Stuttgart - a result they hope to replicate at Leverkusen.

Match preview

Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro was interviewed by German news outlet Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger ahead of Saturday’s game, and the Spaniard certainly made some interesting comments.

Carro doubled down on his hope for Bundesliga’s 50+1 ownership rule to be abolished - a rule which Leverkusen are exempt from - while also setting out his three-year ambition for closing the gap on Bayern Munich.

Before Die Werkself can think about a title push, their primary goal is to close the gap on the top four and boost their Champions League qualification hopes.

Picking up seven points from their previous three Bundesliga outings certainly helped their cause, but there is still more work to do as Kasper Hjulmand’s men enter the weekend three points adrift of the top four.

Leverkusen will be confident of their chances at home against St Pauli considering they have won four of their last five matches at the BayArena - a run which includes four clean sheets.

That home winning run includes a 3-0 thrashing of the Kiezkickers in the DFB Pokal quarter-final less than a fortnight ago.

St Pauli gave themselves a massive lifeline in the battle against relegation after picking up a potentially vital 2-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart last Saturday.

For Alexander Blessin and his men, that result marked St Pauli’s fourth win of the season, and it also ended their six-match winless run in the Bundesliga.

One win may not sound like much, but it has certainly made a big difference for the Kiezkickers, who are now just two points from safety.

Confidence may be high for St Pauli, though the challenge on Saturday is a stern one given they boast one of the worst away records in the competition - just one win from 11 games.

Another concern is the fact they lost five of their last six meetings with Leverkusen - this includes the aforementioned 3-0 cup defeat at the start of the month.

Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga form:

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Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):

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St Pauli Bundesliga form:

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St Pauli form (all competitions):

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Team News

Bayer Leverkusen believe they have found another potential gem after splashing five million euros on 17-year-old Red Star Belgrade striker Aleksa Damjanovic.

The teenager stands at almost two metres tall, and he will link up with his new teammates once the current season has come to an end.

In terms of immediate team news, forward Eliesse Ben Seghir is expected to remain on the sidelines as he recovers from an ankle injury.

Goalkeeper Mark Flekken has been out since January with a knee problem, meaning Janis Blaswich will keep his spot in the starting lineup.

Nathan Tella is out of action with a foot problem, while Ibrahim Maza is a doubt having just recovered from his knee injury.

St Pauli are also battling with a lengthy injury list, and they will be without several key players on Saturday.

Englishman Ricky-Jade Jones was one of the recent additions in the physio room after picking up an ankle injury - one which could keep him on the sidelines for some time.

Forward Connor Metcalfe has been injured since December and will remain out of action. He will be joined by David Nemeth (groin) and Andreas Hountondji (ankle).

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:

Blaswich; Quansah, Andrich, Tapsoba; Arthur, Palacios, García, Grimaldo; Tillman, Poku; Schick

St Pauli possible starting lineup:

Vasilj; Dzwigala, Ando, Mets; Saliakas, Sands, Irvine, Pyrka; Sinani, Rasmussen; Kaars