SV Darmstadt 98 - FC Ingolstadt 04

All square between two bottom-half teams

TEAM NEWS

Rouven Sattelmaier and Selim Gunduz remain on the sidelines at Darmstadt through injury while captain Aytac Sulu is suspended.

Ingolstadt will be without Christian Trasch, Joey Breitfeld and Tobias Schrock.

Darmstadt

Suspended: Aytac Sulu

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Rouven Sattelmaier, Selim Gunduz (both knee)

Ingolstadt

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Christian Trasch, Joey Breitfeld (both knee); Tobias Schrock (thigh)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: DRAW

Darmstadt could do with a positive result in this home league fixture after crashing to three consecutive defeats. Dirk Schuster’s side have in fact lost eight of their 15 league matches so far this season, winning only five and drawing two along the way. Last weekend’s 3-1 away defeat to third placed Union Berlin was the Lilies' fifth defeat on the road of the season. However, they have had much more success on their own turf where they have secured 13 of their 17 points.

The pressure is really starting to mount at Ingolstadt as the team fell to yet another defeat last weekend. The Schanzer crashed to their eighth loss in the last 11 league games, losing 2-1 at home to leaders Hamburg. The other three league matches during that run have been draws. The Schanzer continue to be rooted to the bottom of the table and are five points from safety. Their only league win has come on home soil while away from home they have only claimed two points from a possible 21. New coach Jens Keller will make his debut in the dugout this weekend and clearly has his work cut out. 

Having fallen to disappointing defeats last time out, this is an important league fixture for both of them and I can see the pair playing out a draw.

SECOND PREDICTION: HILO – LOW

Darmstadt have scored only once in their last three league outings while Ingolstadt have found the net twice in their last three league encounters. I’m predicting a low-scoring affair between two struggling teams here.

HEAD TO HEAD

Darmstadt have not beaten Ingolstadt since a top-flight meeting back in 2016, losing three and drawing one of the four league encounters since then.