Fortuna Düsseldorf - FC St. Pauli

Dusseldorf to get back on track against Kauczinski’s St. Pauli

TEAM NEWS

Dusseldorf will be without first ‘keeper Michael Rensing again while Gokhan Gul misses out with a head injury and Tim Wiesner is unavailable, too.

St. Pauli’s Ryo Miyaichi, Marc Hornschuh, Enver Cenk Sahin and Christopher Buchtmann are still absent but are all working on their comebacks. Furthermore, the team are without Bernd Nehrig who saw his fifth yellow card against Holstein Kiel last Sunday and is therefore suspended for this game.

Dusseldorf

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Michael Rensing (broken rib), Gokhan Gul (head), Tim Wiesner (unspecified)

St. Pauli

Suspended: Bernd Nehrig

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Ryo Miyaichi (knee), Marc Hornschuh (back), Christopher Buchtmann (pubis), Enver Cenk Sahin (thigh)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

After throwing away a one-goal lead to lose 3-1 against Union Berlin in their previous away game, Dusseldorf let another lead slip on Friday. Fortuna were cruising at 3-0 after only 15 minutes at Continental Arena, but hosts Regensburg hit back with four goals to pile more misery onto Dusseldorf. Dusseldorf have now lost their position as the league leaders to Nurnberg after a three-match winless run with one draw and two defeats.

St. Pauli have been flying recently, winning their last two and climbing up to ninth place – only three points from the promotion playoff spot. A single goal from Sami Allagui was enough to seal a 1-0 win for St. Pauli in their last away outing and Markus Kauczinski’s men followed that up with a lucky 3-2 victory over Holstein Kiel at Millerntor Stadium last Sunday.

Both sides still have aspirations of promotion in the last ten matches, but Dusseldorf seem the team more likely to clinch a top 3 spot at the end of the season. Having won two of their last three home games, I fancy Fortuna to take another three points on their home ground this weekend.

SECOND PREDICTION: TOTAL GOALS – THREE

Goals have been flowing between these two sides recently and with both offensive lines in excellent form I expect the same again here. In fact, both teams average over two total goals on average while there have been 18 goals scored in the last six meetings between Dusseldorf and St. Pauli. I will back three here too.

HEAD TO HEAD

Dusseldorf have won two of the last six encounters while three ended in favour for St. Pauli.