1.FC Kaiserslautern - MSV Duisburg

TEAM NEWS

Kaiserslautern have two players on their injury list as Kacper Przybylko and Mads Albaek remain absent.

Zlatko Janjic and Tim Albutat are still on Duisburg’s list of absentees, but there are no fresh injury worries for Ilija Gruev.

Kaiserslautern

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Kacper Przybylko (foot), Mads Albaek (pubis)

Duisburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Zlatko Janjic (knee), Tim Albutat (ankle)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: AWAY WIN

Kaiserslautern started the new campaign miserably, collecting not a single win in their first eight matches. The team are rooted to the bottom of the table but hope has arrived in the form of new coach Jeff Strasser who led his team to their first win two weeks ago and also claimed a deserved draw against St. Pauli last weekend. Strasser will need to line up a compact XI who will fight from the beginning to secure a good result against fellow relegation candidates Duisburg.

Duisburg are coming off a disappointing scoreless draw against Braunschweig. The team were not able to make use of their potential on the pitch  and although they had 48% ball possession and 11 attempts on goal but they were not able to score the winning goal. They are finding life in the second tier difficult and are yet to find a way into the games, having lost three and drawn two of the last five games.

Kaiserslautern have the momentum on their side and I expect them to take advantage of it in front of their great fans who tend to build up an excellent atmosphere in home games. I think this could be a home win.

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST TEAM TO SCORE – KAISERSLAUTERN

Kaiserslautern have finally started to score in the last two games, netting four of their seven goals so far this season, and they should find the net first against Duisburg, as indeed they have done in three of their last four games against them.

HEAD TO HEAD

Kaiserslautern’s all-time home record against Duisburg in all competitions consists of 23 wins, four draws and four defeats. They have won the last three matches with scoring eight goals and conceding only two.