Dynamo Dresden - 1.FC Nürnberg

All square at DDV Arena

TEAM NEWS

Dresden are still without the long-term injured Pascal Testroet and Soren Gonther.

Nurnberg’s key players Mikael Ishak and Sebastian Kerk will miss out with long-term injuries while Enis Alushi and Dennis Lippert are both unavailable with knee problems. 

Dresden

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Pascal Testroet (knee), Soren Gonther (Achilles)

Nurnberg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Sebastian Kerk (hamstring); Enis Alushi, Dennis Lippert, Mikael Ishak (all knee)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: DRAW

Dresden may have been beaten 4-2 at promotion-chasing Ingolstadt two weeks ago, but there were plenty of positives to take from that defeat in Bavaria for boss Uwe Neuhaus. The team refused to give up after going 2-0 down in the first half and managed to draw 2-2 until the final minutes of the game when they conceded another two goals. Prior to that loss, Dynamo had picked up nine points from their previous four fixtures, but they are still in trouble as they are only two points above the relegation zone.

Nurnberg have been making a pig’s ear of their promotion challenge of late. The club have won just one of their last six in the 2. Bundesliga and have picked up only two victories since beating Union Berlin 1-0 in late January. They could only manage a 1-1 draw against lowly Darmstadt at home in their last league outing and their form will need to improve drastically if they want to keep hold of second place until the end of the season as they are only two points ahead of third-placed Holstein Kiel and have lost contact to leaders Dusseldorf. 

Dresden have accumulated a respectable 18 points at DDV Arena, winning five of their 13 home league games along the way. Nurnberg will back themselves to take all three points from this fixture, and I would normally fancy them here but not with their actual form. Therefore I’ll take a shot on the draw.

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST HALF HAD - DRAW

Nine of Nurnberg’s 13 away matches have been level at half time. They have failed to open the scoring in their last four league games while Dresden have conceded the first goal in three of their last four. The statistics point towards a low-scoring first half, which will probably end level.

HEAD TO HEAD

Dynamo Dresden have picked up just one win and four draws in their last 11 meetings with Nurnberg in all competitions.