7M - Club Friendlies Preview: Bournemouth vs St Pauli - prediction, team news, lineups

With their pre-season preparations set to begin, Bournemouth will hope their clash with St Pauli at 1508 SaalfeldenArena in Austria on Friday will prove productive. 

The Cherries are yet to begin their pre-season schedule ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season, but a test against 2. Bundesliga opponents St Pauli could be the perfect introduction for new boss Marco Rose. 

Recent Form and Match Context

Bournemouth will embark upon their first ever European campaign next term after finishing sixth in the Premier League with 57 points, their best ever return in the division. The English outfit are now entering a new era under former RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose following Andoni Iraola's move to Liverpool.

Conversely, St Pauli experienced a difficult 2025-26 campaign, suffering relegation from the German top flight after finishing 18th in the Bundesliga with 26 points. Despite that domestic disappointment, the Hamburg side have already accumulated considerable match fitness this summer, featuring in four warm-up fixtures and scoring 16 goals across a string of high-scoring exhibition matches.

Attack, Defense, and Preparation Pressures

While Bournemouth possess superior high-level quality across their squad, Marco Rose's side remain early in their summer program and may lack rhythm compared to their opposition. St Pauli, having already fielded their side across multiple summer contests, hold a distinct advantage in terms of physical sharpness and game intensity.

Defensively, St Pauli struggled mightily in their previous campaign—conceding 60 goals while keeping only five clean sheets—though their proactive pre-season run has seen them display a much sharper attacking edge. Bournemouth's backline will be tasked with staying disciplined against a side that has shown no shortage of goalscoring momentum over recent weeks.

Team News

Bournemouth attacker Justin Kluivert should be able to play a role during the match after he returned from the World Cup earlier this week. Goalkeeper Will Dennis may feature behind a back four marshalled by central defenders Veljko Milosavljevic and Bafode Diakite. 

While Alex Scott has been linked with a move to the likes of Chelsea, he is part of Rose's squad, and he may be given minutes next to Lewis Cook in a double pivot. Carlos Soler is the only injury concern for the Cherries, while players such as Rayan, who featured at the World Cup, are unlikely to play. 

St Pauli have often used a three-man defence this summer, so perhaps they will field the likes of Marcus Mathisen, Tomoya Ando, and David Nemeth on Friday. Mathias Rasmussen is an option to play in the middle of the pitch next to Branimir Hrgota, and the pair could appear behind a front three of Martijn Kaars, Scott Banks, and Abdoulie Ceesay. 

Possible Starting Lineups

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Dennis; Araujo, Milosavljevic, Diakite, Truffert; Scott, Cook; Doak, Kroupi, Kluivert; Rodriguez 

St Pauli possible starting lineup:
Voll; Mathisen, Nemeth, Ando; Pyrka, Rasmussen, Hrgota, Oppie; Ceesay, Banks; Kaars 

Prediction: Bournemouth 1-3 St Pauli

Bournemouth are far behind St Pauli in their preparation for 2026-27, so it would not be surprising if they made numerous changes at half time. While the Cherries undoubtedly possess immense quality, their opponents are likely to be considerably sharper, and that could ultimately be decisive.