The teams met in the cup a week ago, and Bayer won comfortably 3-0, completely controlling the game. Hülmann's team is on a roll: in their last five matches, they've only drawn once against Borussia M, while also defeating Eintracht Frankfurt and winning without a win against Werder Bremen. Leverkusen is racking up goals, but more importantly, they've returned to the race for a top-four finish.
St. Pauli is desperately fighting for survival, but a trip to the reigning champions is a near-hopeless proposition. Blessin's team has lost four of its last five away matches, with its only success being a miraculous 2-1 victory over Stuttgart. Otherwise, the Pirates are weak in attack (only 20 goals in 21 matches) and regularly make defensive mistakes under pressure from top clubs.
The head-to-head record is merciless: Bayer are unbeaten against St. Pauli for 10 matches in a row, scoring in every one. Leverkusen needs to cling to the Champions League; dropping points against the underdogs is unacceptable right now.
