Kane fires Bayern on top as Bayern Munich host Saint Pauli in Bundesliga thriller
29 November 2025
Team News and Context
On Saturday, Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany named his side to welcome Saint Pauli at the Allianz Arena in the Bundesliga’s round 12, aiming to bounce back after a 3-1 defeat in the Champions League at Arsenal.
Bayern sit top of the table with 31 points from 11 games, having won 10 and drawn 1, with 41 goals scored and 8 conceded.
Saint Pauli lie 16th with 7 points, after 2 victories, 1 draw and 8 defeats, scoring 9 and conceding 21 so far this season.
Team news: Kane leads the Bayern attack
The Bayern starting XI featured Manuel Neuer in goal and Harry Kane spearheading the attack, supported by a familiar spine as Bayern chase a fresh winning run.
In the broader context, Bayern boast the Bundesliga’s top form and are chasing a historic stretch of results, while Saint Pauli look to tighten up at the back and nick a crucial away result.
Key statistics and records
Bayern hold one of the league’s strongest offensive records, with an average goals-per-game that sits among the season’s best. Their opponents, Saint Pauli, have faced tougher times, particularly in defense, as they try to climb out of the lower half of the table.
Separately, Bayern have the highest expected goals (xG) average in the league this season at 29.7, while Saint Pauli own one of the lower xG averages (around 10.7).
Additionally, Bayern are currently the least-late team in terms of conceding late goals this season, while Saint Pauli have endured longer waits for goals in several fixtures. These contrasts underline Bayern’s offensive potential and Saint Pauli’s need for resilience.
The record chase and Olise’s breakout
Regardless of the result against Saint Pauli, Bayern will finish round 12 at the summit of the Bundesliga for the 44th straight time, a new record and surpassing the previous benchmark of 43 rounds in the early 1970s.
Individually, Michael Olise has been directly involved in five Bayern goals in a single game earlier this season (2 goals, 3 assists), becoming the club’s youngest player to achieve that feat since records began in 2004-2005. This season, his 12 goal contributions trail only Kane’s 17 within the squad.
Neuer’s milestone and a historic finish
Manuel Neuer is poised to play his 534th Bundesliga match, moving into second place for appearances by a goalkeeper in the league’s history, behind only Oliver Kahn’s 557 caps.
A story of a historic charity tie-in
Saint Pauli’s notable victory over Bayern in February 2002 remains a highlight, but their 2003 relegation pushed them toward a fundraising effort that involved selling around 140,000 shirts named “The Savior.” Bayern stepped in, offering a star-studded friendly in Hamburg to boost funds, with all gate receipts donated to the hosts’ fundraising drive; Bayern won 1-0, but Saint Pauli emerged as the real winner in the supporters’ hearts.
Caption: Kane leads Bayern’s charge against Saint Pauli at the Allianz Arena.
Punchlines: If Bayern keeps scoring like this, the trophy cabinet will need a maintenance team. And if Saint Pauli can somehow bottle this energy, the stadium might file a complaint about noise levels in the basement.
