FC St. Pauli - Jahn Regensburg

St. Pauli set for the second home win of the season

TEAM NEWS

St. Pauli will be without the long-term injured Ryo Miyaichi, Marc Hornschuh, Aziz Bouhaddouz and Philipp Ziereis while Enver Cenk Sahin and Richard Neudecker will be unavailable too.

Regensburg will not have Oliver Hein, Joshua Mees and Jann George at their disposal.

St. Pauli

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Ryo Miyaichi, Enver Cenk Sahin (both knee); Philipp Ziereis (muscle), Marc Hornschuh (back), Richard Neudecker (unspecified), Aziz Bouhaddouz (calf)

Regensburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Oliver Hein (knee), Joshua Mees (pulled muscle), Jann George (toe)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Regensburg are likely to be the ideal opponents for St. Pauli to get back on track. The team have been thoroughly unconvincing in front of their fans this season, claiming only one win in six matches and securing a joint-second lowest tally of six points at home, making them one of the worst home teams in the league. On a positive note, they have been working hard in front of goal lately, but they still conceded at least one goal in all their last four matches and are winless in those, with the latest ending in a 1-0 defeat at Union Berlin.

Regensburg have registered two consecutive wins in their last two games at home, but on the road they are winless in their last three without scoring a single goal. Coach Achim Beierlorzer will have been looking for solutions over the international break to return to winning ways on the road. He will have to ensure that Regensburg regain the same fighting spirit as at home, but this will be a tough ask against St. Pauli.

Regensburg are the perfect opponents for St. Pauli to claim their second home win, with the visitors struggling considerably away from home recently. I think a home win is on the cards.

SECOND PREDICTION: HALF TIME HAD – DRAW

Both teams have problems – St. Pauli at home and Regensburg on the road. In addition, three of St. Pauli’s last four games have been level at half time in the league. I think this will continue here.

HEAD TO HEAD

St. Pauli have played only once against Regensburg at home in the 2. Bundesliga and managed to win that game via an entertaining 3-2 scorelin.

Arminia Bielefeld - Eintr. Braunschweig

Important match for two struggling clubs

TEAM NEWS

Bielefeld’s Christopher Nothe will be out with a knee problem while Baboucarr Gaye is set to miss this game with a finger injury. In addition, both Brain Behrendt and Julian Borner will be unavailable due to suspension.

Braunschweig’s key striker Domi Kumbela is out injured while Mirko Boland and Joseph Baffo have suffered a knee injury and are unavailable for this game.

Bielefeld

Suspended: Julian Borner, Brian Behrendt

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Christopher Nothe (knee), Baboucarr Gaye (finger)

Braunschweig

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Mirko Boland, Joseph Baffo (both knee); Domi Kumbela (unspecified)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Although Bielefeld have been struggling recently they have been producing good performances and clinched a point at least against in-form Aue before the international break. The team showed character as they fell behind in the 45^th minute, but responded with a late equaliser from Andreas Vogelsammer. Following this draw they have an even league record with five wins, three draws and five defeats. However, after four games without a win, they will hope to turn things around and to celebrate a win in front of their fans for the first time since late August.

Braunschweig have been disappointing lately, especially considering the good football they have been producing at times even during this bad run of results. Having one of the deepest, most talented squads in the league, they need to convince a lot more and turn that positive playing style into positive results. After eight draws and only three wins in the first 13 rounds, the team have be more clinical in their matches. Both of their last games were draws with the most recent game ending 2-2 at home against Darmstadt two weeks ago.

Neither of these teams have impressed recently and this is a tough match to call. However, Bielefeld thrashed Braunschweig by an astonishing 6-0 scoreline earlier this year – and I think they will register another victory here.

SECOND PREDICTION: TOTAL GOALS – TWO

Both teams have found it difficult to find the net in previous games, with both sides scoring an average of one goal in their last four games. With both sides having problems in attack and their games averaging a goal total of three goals or fewer this season, I expect a low-scoring match here with exactly two goals scored.

HEAD TO HEAD

These two teams have met 11 times at Bielefeld across all competitions, with the hosts registering six wins, two draws and three defeats. The last match ended 6-0 in the hosts’ favour.

SV Darmstadt 98 - SV Sandhausen

Darmstadt to bounce back

TEAM NEWS

Peter Niemeyer, Felix Platte and Daniel Heuer Fernandes are the only players on Darmstadt’s injury list.

Sandhausen will be without Mirco Born, Rick Wulle, Damian Rossbach, Andrew Wooten and Korbinian Vollmann, who are all injury concerns.

Darmstadt

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Peter Niemeyer (heel), Daniel Heuer Fernandes (finger), Felix Platte (unspecified)

Sandhausen

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Mirco Born, Rick Wulle (both knee); Korbinian Vollmann (unspecified), Damian Rossbach (head), Andrew Wooten (pulled muscle)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Darmstadt were involved in a very entertaining 2-2 draw away to Braunschweig before the international break, with Marvin Mehlem and Wilson Kamavuaka registering the goals for them. That result kept Torsten Fring’s men in 11^th position with an even goal difference, having scored and conceded 23. They are coming off a seven-match winless run and that draw – their second in a row – will have given them hope to get back on track in the upcoming weeks. This is a game the home side will want to win and their high goal count in front of their own supporters should help them towards a win here.

Sandhausen have been the surprise package of the campaign so far despite losing the last home game to Duisburg 1-0. Having claimed five wins, three draws and five defeats this season, they are sitting in a respectable sixth place at the moment and Kenan Kocak has formed a well-balanced team who tend to give everything. However, although they have got off to a good start to the campaign, they are now winless in the last four, having lost three of them.

I expect Darmstadt to return to winning ways and register their first win in eight games here.  

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST TEAM TO SCORE – DARMSTADT

Sandhausen have been the first team to concede in all their last four road games while Darmstadt have scored first in their last two home games. With the hosts seemingly picking up their form, they should be the first to find the net here again.

HEAD TO HEAD

Darmstadt have hosted Sandhausen only once in the 2. Bundesliga in a close game, which they won 1-0 in 2015. Overall, they have won all of their last three competitive encounters.

1.FC Nürnberg - FC Ingolstadt 04

Nurnberg set to defend third place

TEAM NEWS

Nurnberg’s key players Adam Zrelak and Sebastian Kerk will miss out with long-term injuries while Dennis Lippert is out with a knee problem, but he does not play an essential role at the club.

Ingolstadt have a full squad available, with the exception of  Marcel Gaus, who will miss this match after his red card against Bielefeld.

Nurnberg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Sebastian Kerk (hamstring), Dennis Lippert (knee), Adam Zrelak (broken foot)

Ingolstadt

Suspended: Marcel Gaus

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: None

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Nurnberg’s unbeaten run came to an unexpected end last weekend as they were beaten 1-0 by a very motivated Heidenheim side. The team struggled to find the same goalscoring form as in their last six matches. Coach Michael Kollner will have been surprised by his men’s disappointing performance and will have been looking for solutions ahead of this game. He will have to ensure that Nurnberg return to their normal selves quickly. However, they sit still in third place but have several other teams hot on their heels, so securing more points straight away will be vital.

After a difficult start to the campaign, Ingolstadt have been improving week after week and they continue their unbeaten run after beating Bielefeld away from home 3-1 last weekend. Their streak of four matches without defeat has put them into seventh, but they are still five points behind third place. However, if they continue this way they can close the gap by the end of the year in what is their actual aim this season – to be back in promotion battle. Both Sonny Kittel and Stefan Kutschke are in great form and have been helping with their goals to extend that good run.

This match is very hard to predict as both teams are very strong, but I tend towards the home side as Ingolstadt have been lucky lately.

SECOND PREDICTION: TOTAL GOALS – THREE

Both teams are in great form and this may result in goals. They are both free-scoring, with Nurnberg netting 26 and Ingolstadt scoring 21 this season. In fact, five of their nine encounters, including friendlies, have resulted in exactly three goals. I can see this happening again here.

HEAD TO HEAD

Nurnberg have played twice against Ingolstadt at home in 2. Bundesliga and have managed to remain unbeaten during that time.

Erzgebirge Aue - Arminia Bielefeld

Very close match expected

TEAM NEWS

Aue are without long-term absentee Nicky Adler while Dimitrij Nazarov saw a red card against Regensburg two weeks ago and is suspended for another two games. Calogero Rizzuto who saw his fifth yellow card against St. Pauli is also on the list of suspended players.

Bielefeld’s Christopher Nothe will be out with a knee problem while Baboucarr Gaye will miss this game with a finger injury. In addition, Brain Behrendt will be unvailable due to suspension.

Aue

Suspended: Dimitrij Nazarov, Calogero Rizzuto

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Nicky Adler (adductor)

Bielefeld

Suspended: Brian Behrendt

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Christopher Nothe (knee), Baboucarr Gaye (finger)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: DRAW

Aue managed to arrest their negative run of two defeats by securing two positive results when beating Regensburg 1-0 two weeks ago and drawing 1-1 with St. Pauli 1-1 last time out. The latest draw was a surprise, but the team were lucky in that St. Pauli allowed them to score an easy goal in the second period. Nevertheless, they fought hard to secure their point against a team with much more potential. Aue will now try and build on that result in a bid to register a win in one of their upcoming matches.

Bielefeld were completely outplayed by Ingolstadt in their last home game last Friday. The 3-1 defeat left them frustrated, especially as they had been in control for some parts of the game, but coach Jeff Saibene was pleased with their fighting spirit. However, he can’t get away from the fact that Bielefeld have now lost their last three in a row, conceding seven in the process, after starting the league with five wins, two draws and two defeats.

This game is very hard to predict and I expect a very close one here. Therefore I’ll go with the draw here.

SECOND PREDICTION: TOTAL GOALS – TWO

Aue and Bielefeld have met four times, with two of the four matches producing exactly two goals. With Aue only scoring one or even less in their last four home games and Bielefeld only netting 1.42 on average this season too, this could be another close encounter between these two teams with not many goals scored. I expect two in total.

HEAD TO HEAD

These two teams have met four times at Aue in the 2. Bundesliga, with the hosts winning one whilst registering two draws and one defeat.

Holstein Kiel - Dynamo Dresden

Goals likely to flow as Holstein Kiel post another home win

TEAM NEWS

Holstein Kiel will have to do without the long-term injured Christopher Lenz and Manuel Janzer while Arne Sicker will miss out again with illness. In addition, they have Dominic Peitz unavailable due to suspension after his fifth yellow card against Darmstadt.

Dresden are still without the long-term injured Pascal Testroet and Marco Hartmann while Soren Gonther has problems with his Achilles tendon and will miss out again. Furthermore, the team are without Philipp Heise due to suspension.

Holstein Kiel

Suspended: Dominic Peitz

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Christopher Lenz (adductor), Manuel Janzer (Achilles), Arne Sicker (infection)

Dresden

Suspended: Philip Heise

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Pascal Testroet (knee), Soren Gonther (Achilles), Marco Hartmann (pulled muscle)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Holstein Kiel’s excellent record of eight wins, two draws and just two defeats looks likely to be extended with the visit of Dresden. They have scored at least two goals in five of their six home games, while being undefeated in 15 of their last 16 league matches at home. Holstein Kiel’s second place in the table looks likely to be consolidated here and one of the home team’s most impressive players this season has been the German Marvin Ducksch as the striker has scored nine goals in 12 starts. The team drew 1-1 at Darmstadt last time out.

Following their 1-1 home draw against Braunschweig last weekend, Dresden have only one win from seven games in all competitions and a journey to Kiel will prove a tough test of their credentials. They remain 12^th despite that poor run which is in large part down to a strong run at the beginning of the season when they only lost one of their first six games. They have the ninth best away record in the 2. Bundesliga, with two wins, two draws and two defeats. There are goals in this team as well as creative players and that will give the away side hope.

Dresden are doing much better on the road than in front of their own fans and I therefore think that they can frustrate Holstein Kiel here. Nevertheless, they are playing against an incredible in-form team and I’m siding with a home win here.

SECOND PREDICTION: CORRECT SCORE – 2-1

Holstein Kiel have scored an impressive 29 goals so far this season – the highest in the division and have won two of their last four home games with 2-1 scorelines. Their strong form up front should be enough to hand them another home win here while Dresden have scored once in both of their last two competitive road games. I’ll back another 2-1 win for the hosts here.

HEAD TO HEAD

These teams will meet for the first time in the 2. Bundesliga. They last played each other in the third division in 2015-16, with Dresden recording one win and one draw.

Fortuna Düsseldorf - FC Heidenheim

Heidenheim to grab a point against leaders Dusseldorf

TEAM NEWS

Dusseldorf will be without first ‘keeper Michael Rensing again due to a broken rib, but they have no further injury concerns.

Heidenheim will be without Marnon Busch who is injured.

Dusseldorf

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Michael Rensing (broken rib)

Heidenheim

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Marnon Busch (unspecified)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: DRAW

Dusseldorf’s winning run came to an unexpected end as they managed only a 0-0 draw against Bochum last Monday. Nevertheless, they are still unbeaten in the last six matches and have a big advantage as the leaders of the 2.Bundesliga. The team struggled to find the same goalscoring form as in their previous five matches last weekend and were not as clinical as in those games. However, Friedhelm Funkel was not disappointed with the performance and he hopes for a better result against Heidenheim to extend their leading position.

Heidenheim were lucky enough to find a single goal against third placed Nurnberg during their 1-0 home win on Sunday. This was their third win of the season which put them in 16^th  place, at one point from safety. The match against Dusseldorf should be the next hard test for them but their form has been improving steadily.

I think that Heidenheim can grab a point here because Dusseldorf are starting to burn out and they have had a great run recently. That run may come to an end here – draw.

SECOND PREDICTION: CORRECT SCORE – 2-0

The teams’ last two matches ended in 2-0 wins for the respective home team and Dusseldorf have claimed two of their last three victories in the league via two-goal margins  Expect this match to end 2-0 for the hosts.

HEAD TO HEAD

Dusseldorf won the teams’ first meeting against Heidenheim in September 2014, but tat has been their only win at home so far. The other two matches finished with a narrow 1-0 win for Heidenheim and the latest with a 0-0 draw in February 2017.

Union Berlin - FC St. Pauli

Union Berlin to continue their unbeaten run

TEAM NEWS

Union Berlin will miss Atsuto Uchida.

St. Pauli will be without the long-term injured Ryo Miyaichi, Marc Hornschuh, Aziz Bouhaddouz and Philipp Ziereis while Enver Cenk Sahin and Richard Neudecker will be unavailable too.

Union Berlin

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Atsuto Uchida (calf)

St. Pauli

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Ryo Miyaichi, Enver Cenk Sahin (both knee); Philipp Ziereis (muscle), Marc Hornschuh (back), Richard Neudecker (unspecified), Aziz Bouhaddouz (calf)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Even during a phase of slight technical decline and with several players unavailable, Union Berlin have been able to keep their amazing unbeaten streak in recent weeks. They haven’t lost since September and have not lost any of their last five games after drawing 1-1 away at Duisburg last time out. Union are clear favourites at home against St. Pauli, a side they have beaten three times in their last five league encounters.

However, to defeat St. Pauli, Union Berlin will need to be convincing. After all, the St. Pauli side have been efficient lately when playing away from home. In fact, St. Pauli have won three and drawn one of their last four away games, scoring five goals and conceding only one. They registered a 1-1 draw at home against Aue on Friday – their third consecutive league match that ending with that scoreline.

However, nevertheless, I can see no other outcome than a victory for in-form Union Berlin here – ome win.

SECOND PREDICTION: TOTAL GOALS – THREE

I expect goals for Union Berlin and it is just a case of how many. St. Pauli will need to be at their very best defensively in order to keep the goal count down. Union Berlin have scored 13 goals in the last five league games while the teams’ last four meetings have resulted in 2.75 goals in total on average. I’ll therefore back three goals again here.

HEAD TO HEAD

These two teams have met eight times at Union Berlin in Germany’s second division, with the hosts registering six wins, one draw and one defeat.

Jahn Regensburg - Greuther Fürth

Regensburg to claim back-to-back home victories

TEAM NEWS

Regensburg will not have Oliver Hein, Joshua Mees and Jann George at their disposal.

Greuther Furth won’t have Mathis Bolly, Nik Omladic, Balazs Megyeri, Julian Green, Daniel Steininger and Sercan Sararer available for this encounter in Regensburg.

Regensburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Oliver Hein (knee), Joshua Mees (pulled muscle), Jann George (toe)

Greuther Furth

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Mathis Bolly (muscle), Sercan Sararer (unspecified), Nik Omladic (foot), Balazs Megyeri (shoulder), Julian Green (adductor), Daniel Steininger (pulled muscle)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

After exiting the cup when losing 5-2 at home against fellow second-tier club Heidenheim two weeks ago, Regensburg managed to return to winning ways against Kaiserslautern last weekend. The team claimed an easy 3-1 home win against the bottom-placed side who never found a way into the game. With four wins and eight defeats Regensburg can breathe a bit because they are two points ahead of the two clubs in the automatic relegation places. Following their disappointing performance in the cup, their full focus will now be on the league and if they continue with the same way of playing as last weekend then it could still be a strong and successful season for Regensburg.

With their cup tie against Ingolstadt taken into account, Greuther Furth have lost two of their last three matches, but they were able to beat Sandhausen 2-1 in an important game last Saturday. Although they are still sitting in 17^th place, the team have started to gel a lot more, which is down to some changes, but their away form has been poor as they have only secured one of their ten points on their travels.

I think Regensburg will claim their second home victory in a row against a very weak team on the road. 

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST TEAM TO SCORE – GREUTHER FURTH

Regensburg have been the first team to concede in four of the last five league matches while Greuther Furth have scored first in their last two games. They could be the first to find the net here again.

HEAD TO HEAD

Regensburg’s all-time home record against Greuther Furth in all competitions consists of two draws and one defeat. They have drawn the last match 0-0 in front of their own fans in August 2003.

Eintracht Braunschweig - SV Darmstadt 98

Important match for two struggling clubs

TEAM NEWS

Braunschweig’s two key strikers Domi Kumbela and Christoffer Nyman are out injured while Mirko Boland and Joseph Baffo have suffered a knee injury and are unavailable for this game.

Darmstadt’s Peter Niemeyer and Daniel Heuer Fernandes are the only players on their injury list. In addition, they will be without Hamit Altintop who is suspended after seeing his fifth yellow card against Holstein Kiel.

Braunschweig

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Mirko Boland, Joseph Baffo (both knee); Domi Kumbela (unspecified), Christoffer Nyman (calf)

Darmstadt

Suspended: Hamit Altintop

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Peter Niemeyer (heel), Daniel Heuer Fernandes (finger)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Braunschweig’s excellent home record of three wins, two draws and just one defeat looks likely to be extended with the visit of fellow mid-table team Darmstadt. Nevertheless, Braunschweig have not had the best run lately, with just one win and two draws in their last five, and they will need to start converting those draws into victories soon in order to be in with a chance to close the gap to the top. Overall, the team are unbeaten in the last three, drawing 1-1 at Dresden last weekend, but they will need to start scoring more goals as three in their last five makes it difficult to win matches.

Darmstadt are a team who have been struggling lately – in their six previous games they have failed to record a single win. That leaves them in 11^th position on the table. However, they posted a 1-1 draw at home against high-flying Holstein Kiel last time out.

Darmstadt will be concerned at the prospects of travelling to Braunschweig this weekend as they have lost all of the last three games there. With that in mind and given Braunschweig’s good home record this season, I’ll back another win for the hosts.

SECOND PREDICTION: HALF TIME HAD – DRAW

With both teams unable to claim many wins recently, they will have to improve considerably, but both have been nervous at the beginnng of their games and have mainly been focusing on safety in the first half. In fact, just three goals in Braunschweig’s last five matches have arrived before the break while Darmstadt have netted only one first-half goal in the last two matches. A draw therefore seems a good choice at half time.

HEAD TO HEAD

Braunschweig have the edge in this head-to-head, winning four of the last six encounters and clinching one draw. However, Darmstadt won the most recent meeting in 2015, clinching a 1-0 victory at home.

1.FC Kaiserslautern - VfL Bochum

Important match for two struggling clubs

TEAM NEWS

Kaiserslautern have three players on their injury list as Kacper Przybylko, Daniel Halfar and Mads Albaek remain absent.

Bochum’s Timo Perthel and Tim Hoogland are both absent with injuries while Lucas Hinterseer is unavailable due to suspension.

Kaiserslautern

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Kacper Przybylko (foot), Mads Albaek (pubis), Daniel Halfar (unspecified)

Bochum

Suspended: Lukas Hinterseer

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Timo Perthel (knee), Tim Hoogland (unspecified)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: AWAY WIN

After exiting the cup when losing 3-1 at home against top-flight club Stuttgart one and a half week ago, Kaiserslautern disappointed again at the weekend suffering another 3-1 defeat against fellow relegation candidates Regensburg. Kaiserslautern never found a way into the game and looked helpless throughout the 90 minutes. Following their bad performance in both cup and league, I cannot see past further disappointments over the upcoming weeks. With only one win, three draws and eight defeats, they are at the bottom of the 2. Bundesliga table and are already four points behind Greuther Furth in 17^th place.

Bochum are travelling to Kaiserslautern having lost their last three league games on away turf without scoring, while they have also conceded at least one goal in each of those matches. The team’s general away form reads badly too as the side have picked up just one win in six league matches. However, a more positive aspect of their statistics is that they were able to collect a draw against leader Dusseldorf in the last home game. This may give their confidence and team spirit a boost – and that is exactly what is needed to end their winless run against bottom-side Kaiserslautern.

This match is very hard to predict as both are in need of points and the game can turn into a very hard fight, but Bochum should have plenty of confidence after the draw with leaders Dusseldorf last time out. Away win.

SECOND PREDICTION: HALF TIME HAD – DRAW

Kaiserslautern have found it difficult to find the net in the first half this season, with them only scoring two of their goals within the first 45 minutes. With Bochum opening the scoring in four of their last seven league games, I expect the visitors to net the first goal of the match here too.

HEAD TO HEAD

These two teams have meet 34 times in the top flight and second division at Betzenberg.  Kaiserslautern have managed to win 19 games, drawn nine and lost six. The last meeting at Kaiserslautern was won 3-0 by the hosts in October 2016.

SV Sandhausen - MSV Duisburg

Sandhausen bounce back

TEAM NEWS

Sandhausen will be without Mirco Born, Rick Wulle, Damian Rossbach, Andrew Wooten, Lucas Holer and Korbinian Vollmann, who are all injury concerns.

Zlatko Janjic and Nico Klotz are still on Duisburg’s list of absentees, but there are no fresh injury worries for Ilija Gruev, while only Enis Hajri will miss out too due to suspension.

Sandhausen

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Mirco Born, Rick Wulle (both knee); Korbinian Vollmann, Lucas Holer (both unspecified); Damian Rossbach (head), Andrew Wooten (pulled muscle)

Duisburg

Suspended: Enis Hajri

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Zlatko Janjic (knee), Nico Klotz (foot)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

With one win, one draw and three defeats in their last five matches, Sandhausen have been inconsistent at best lately and they need to bounce back from their latest disappointing road trip against bottom side Greuther Furth to avoid losing sight of the top six. However, they have won three of their last four home league games, with one draw, and after losing 2-1 to Furth, they now have a great opportunity to get back to winning ways when they face bottom-of-the-table Duisburg.

Duisburg produced one of the surprise results of the weekend at home to Union Berlin in week 12. They lined up a 4-4-2 formation and did well to frustrate Union Berlin to gain a draw. However, Ilija Gruew’s men have been in very poor form at home, failing to win a single game in six attempts.  Sitting in 14^th with a disappointing goal difference of -5, their away form has however been better as they have secured ten of their 13 points on the road. Nevertheless, there have not been many more positives to talk about for them this season, but that draw against Union Berlin may have sparked a rejuvenated spirit amongst the camp.

Nevertheless, Sandhausen have the much better team and they should be able to beat newcomers Duisburg under normal circumstances. Home win.

SECOND PREDICTION: TOTAL GOALS – TWO

Both teams have found it difficult to find the net in previous games, with Sandhausen and Duisburg only scoring eight goals between them in the last five matches. With both sides having a lot of problems in attack and their games averaging a goal total of less than three so far this season, I expect a low-scoring match here with exactly two goals scored.

HEAD TO HEAD

Sandhausen have played twice at home against Duisburg in the 2. Bundesliga and have not been able to win either of them. Duisburg won 2-0 in October 2012 while there was a 2-2 draw in May 2016.