Eintracht Braunschweig - VfL Bochum

Braunschweig to bounce back

TEAM NEWS

Braunschweig’s key striker Domi Kumbela is out injured while Mirko Boland has suffered a knee injury and is unavailable for this game.

Bochum’s Timo Perthel and Tim Hoogland are both absent with injuries while Johannes Wurtz is unavailable due to suspension.

Braunschweig

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Mirko Boland (knee), Domi Kumbela (unspecified)

Bochum

Suspended: Johannes Wurtz

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Timo Perthel (knee), Tim Hoogland (unspecified)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Braunschweig produced a disappointing performance last time out away from home to Duisburg as they were unable to beat the bottom side in a 0-0 draw. They run out of ideas when it came to breaking through their opponents’ defensive line. The draw means of course that Braunschweig are still on a three-match winless run and they would have expected much better results at the beginning of the season. With only two wins, six draws and two defeats they sit in 12^th and only four points from the drop zone. However, I believe Torsten Lieberknecht’s men should find a way out of this bad situation in the upcoming weeks.

Bochum too had huge expectations when new coach Ismail Atalan took charge at the start of the season, but they have so far not been able to meet them. The 37-year-old was fired ahead of the match against Sandhausen, which the team then won 2-0, producing a good performance against such strong opposition. It was their second win in the last three matches and has allowed them to dream of better results in the upcoming matches. However, if they fail to deliver going forward then they are likely to find it very hard to find a way back into the competition.

Neither team are in their best shape, but Braunschweig are due to take points. I’ll back a home win here.

SECOND PREDICTION: TOTAL GOALS – THREE

When these two met in the last five matches, the games always produced goals and the last six encounters do in fact average three goals per game. In addition, two of Braunschweig’s last four and four of Bochum’s last nine league games ended with exactly three goals in total. Expect three again here.

HEAD TO HEAD

Bochum haven’t won in the last two visits to Braunschweig, but they did manage to pick up five wins and two draws in their 18 away games.