Dynamo Dresden - Fortuna Düsseldorf

Fortuna to close in on top spot finish with a win

TEAM NEWS

Dresden are still without the long-term injured Pascal Testroet and Soren Gonther while Jannik Muller faces a fresh injury and is unavailable too. Marco Hartmann saw two yellow cards against Kaiserlautern last weekend and is suspended.

Gokhan Gul, Lukas Schmitz, Oliver Fink and Andre Hofmann will be missing this game for Dusseldorf once again due to injury.

Dresden

Suspended: Marco Hartmann

Doubtful: None

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

Dusseldorf

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Gokhan Gul (head), Andre Hoffmann (unspecified), Lukas Schmitz (toe), Oliver Fink (adductor)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: AWAY WIN

Dresden all but guaranteed safety with last weekend’s hard-fought 1-0 win over bottom side Kaiserslautern at Betzenberg. Dynamo’s form has been awful over the past two months, with onlt two wins, two draws and two defeats. However, sitting in 11^thplace on 40 points, their survival in the 2. Bundesliga is now in their own hands as they are three points above the drop zone.

Dusseldorf nearly booked their place in Germany’s 1. Bundesliga last Sunday as they eased to a 3-0 home win over rivals Ingolstadt at Esprit Arena. Fortuna need just one win from their last three games to seal promotion as direct rivals Holstein Kiel and Nurnberg, who are occupying third and second spot, play against each other on Monday evening. Friedhelm Funkel’s men have without doubt been the real deal in the second tier, fully deserving their promotion to the promised land. With 17 wins, five draws and nine defeats, they sit at the top of the standings with 56 point.

Securing promotion to the 1. Bundesliga will taste even sweeter for Fortuna fans if they can achieve this with another two games to go. This should be a stroll in the park for the visitors, so back a Fortuna win.

SECOND PREDICTION: CORRECT SCORE – 1-2 

Dusseldorf have been scoring at least two goals in their last four league wins and that looks set to continue here on their visit to Dresden. However, having drawn a blank in only one of their last six league games, the hosts are clearly capable in attack and should be able to find the net too. I predict a 2-1 away win.

HEAD TO HEAD

Dresden have the edge at home in this head-to-head, with two wins, four draws and one defeat. However, they have not lost in their last six meetings across all competitions against Dusseldorf, winning and drawing three. The last two meetings have seen both teams score.