SV Sandhausen - VfL Bochum

Teams set to cancel each other out

TEAM NEWS

Sandhausen will be without Philipp Klingmann, Eroll Zejnullahu, Tim Kister, Andrew Wooten, Julian Derstroff and Ken Gibson who are all out due to injury concerns. Furthermore, the club has to find a replacement for the suspended midfielder Nejmeddin Daghfous.

Bochum coach Robin Dutt has no injury concerns to deal with but he will have to replace Anthony Losilla who is suspended for the game in Sandhausen.

Sandhausen

Suspended: Nejmeddin Daghfous

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Philipp Klingmann (head); Andrew Wooten (pulled muscle), Ken Gibson (calf), Eroll Zejnullahu (knee), Tim Kister (broken foot), Julian Derstroff (pulled muscle)

Bochum

Suspended: Anthony Losilla

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: None

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: DRAW

Sandhausen still have slim aspirations of making the promotion playoffs, but after losing to Regensburg 2-1 on the road last Sunday, they have slipped five points adrift of third place. Nevertheless, Kenan Kocak’s men will not give up on the top three until it is mathematically impossible. The team go into this one having won just one of their last six in the league but they have not lost on their own turf since late November.

Bochum are undefeated in three, having drawn with Nurnberg as well as Holstein Kiel and having beaten Ingolstadt. Last weekend, Kevin Stoger’s goal was enough to seal an excellent 1-1 home draw against third-placed Kiel at the Vonovia Stadium. However, the side are still sitting only one place and one point above the drop zone and are in desperate need of more points in the upcoming weeks as they could still be sucked into the bottom three.

The teams’ last three meetings at Sandhausen have all failed to produce a winner. Given both sides’ recent form, I expect the same here again. Take a punt on a draw.

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST HALF HAD – DRAW

In each of Sandhausen’s last four home games against Bochum, the teams have gone into the break level. Things could be tight in the first period on Saturday and I’ll back another low-scoring first half here.

HEAD TO HEAD

Sandhausen have won just one of the past five home meetings between the two. Back in October, the reverse fixture ended in favour of Bochum, who claimed a 2-0 victory.