SC Paderborn - SV Sandhausen

Paderborn to continue unbeaten home run

TEAM NEWS

Steffen Baumgart has a fully fit Paderborn team to choose from. His only unavailable players are Massih Wassey with a back injury and Sven Michel with an Achilles issue.

Sandhausen’s Tim Knipping, Nejmeddin Daghfous and Ken Gipson are all out with different injuries. 

Paderborn

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Massih Wassey (back), Sven Michel (Achilles)

Sandhausen

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Tim Knipping (broken foot), Nejmeddin Daghfous (calf), Ken Gipson (shoulder)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Paderborn have made a good fist of things since returning to the second tier, and they have been particularly strong on home soil so far where they are still unbeaten with two wins and three draws. Sitting in sixth place with 16 points, trailing leaders Cologne by four, Paderborn could do with another home win this weekend. They are coming off a scoreless draw at home against Union Berlin, but this was only the second time this term they have drawn a blank. 

Sandhausen picked up a much-needed three points against fellow strugglers Ingolstadt in round ten, with goals from Fabian Schleusener (two), Andrew Wooten and Denis Linsmayer proving to be enough to claim a 4-0 victory. That was only the team's second league win of the campaign, but they have now climbed into 16^thand are only one point from safety. Having won two and lost two of their last four league matches will without a doubt have given Sandhausen a boost, but they will have to improve their scoring as they have netted only nine goals after ten rounds – the joint lowest in the league.  

Paderborn should be able to dominate this league encounter at Benteler Arenay, especially given their strong home form. I'm going with a home win.

SECOND PREDICTION: HILO – HIGH

Three of the last four league meetings between the pair at Benteler Arena have seen three total goals or more. I believe we will treated to a high-scoring league game once again.

HEAD TO HEAD

Paderborn have won just one of their previous four league meetings with Sandhausen, losing the other three. The teams last met in February 2016 when Sandhausen claimed a narrow 1-0 win at Hardtwald Stadium.