1.FC Kaiserslautern - FC St. Pauli

St. Pauli to nick this crucial clash at Betzenberg

TEAM NEWS

Kaiserslautern have five players on their injury list as Kacper Przybylko, Patrick Salata, Giuliano Modica, Daniel Halfar and Mads Albaek are all absent.

St. Pauli’s Ryo Miyaichi, Marc Hornschuh, Waldemar Sobota, Clemens Schoppenhauer, Maurice Litka and Christopher Buchtmann are still absent but are all working on their comebacks.

Kaiserslautern

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Kacper Przybylko (foot), Mads Albaek (pubis); Patrick Salata, Giuliano Modica (both knee); Daniel Halfar (hip)

St. Pauli

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Ryo Miyaichi (knee), Marc Hornschuh (back), Christopher Buchtmann (pubis), Waldemar Sobota (heel), Clemens Schoppenhauer (shoulder), Maurice Litka (ankle)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: AWAY WIN

Kaiserslautern fell to yet another road defeat on Saturday – their ninth this season – with the team losing 2-1 to Greuther Furth at the Ronhof Sportpark. It was the Red Devils’ sixth defeat in 12 games in all competitions. Michael Frontzeck’s Kasierslautern are still rooted to the bottom of the table and seven points adrift of safety.

Although St. Pauli’s season has not been as bad as Kaiserslautern’s, the team from Hamburg have massively underachieved so far. St. Pauli have won only four of their last 17 league fixtures, with two of those wins coming in their last four road games. The club from Hamburg lost 2-1 against leaders Dusseldorf two weeks ago but clinched a deserved 0-0 draw against struggling Braunschweig at home last Saturday.

Kaiserslautern have won three of their 13 league games at Betzenberg, while St. Pauli have picked up six 2. Bundesliga wins on the road. The visitors should edge this one, so back a St. Pauli win here.

SECOND PREDICTION: CORRECT SCORE – 1-2

St. Pauli’s last two wins at Betzenberg have been secured by one-goal margins, with both matches ending 2-1 in the team’s favour. One goal could be enough to nick this clash too and I expect a repeat of that scoreline.

HEAD TO HEAD

The teams have met 15 times at Betzenberg since 1977 across all competitions, with the hosts winning nine, drawing two and losing four. This season’s reverse fixture finished in a 1-1 draw in October.