St. Gallen vs Borussia Dortmund 31/07/19

31 July 2019

St. Gallen and Borussia Dortmund will face-off at AFG Arena for a friendly clash that will see the Germans trying to post their seventh consecutive triumph.

Encouraged by a 2-1 away win over Basel in the Swiss championship, St. Gallen will look to snap a two-game losing streak against the German heavyweights. Four of St. Gallen’s last five games have produced over 2.5 goals while three have seen both teams score (W3, D1, L1). However, their defensive problems have seen them concede precisely two goals per match in three straight games in the build-up to this match, which could be a serious issue Peter Zeidler will have to deal with now. For the Espen, most of the action takes place in the second half, with 11 of a total 18 goals in their previous five games arriving after the halftime break.

Meanwhile, the Bundesliga heavyweights have been impressive in their pre-season so far, securing four wins in as many outings, all of which have seen them score three or more goals. Unapologetic in the final third, BVB have netted 2+ match goals in all ten of their previous outings, finding the net in both halves seven times along the way. However, Lucien Favre’s men have struggled to keep a blank slate on seven occasions across the same period, conceding over 1.5 match goals four times in the process. Dortmund’s all-out game philosophy has seen just three of their last 17 matches feature under 2.5 goals.