FC St. Pauli - SV Darmstadt 98

St. Pauli to take revenge for last season's defeat

TEAM NEWS

Both Jan-Philipp Kalla and Marc Hornschuh, who has already missed the opener, remain injury concerns for Markus Kauczinski’s St. Pauli.

Darmstadt’s Marcel Heller is suspended while Felix Platte is out after suffering a ligament tear.

St. Pauli

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Jan-Philipp Kalla (pubis), Marc Hornschuh (slipped disc)

Darmstadt

Suspended: Marcel Heller

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Felix Platte (torn ligaments)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

St. Pauli enjoyed a successful trip to Magdeburg last weekend as they left with a 2-1 victory. Man of the match Marvin Knoll scored the winning goal for his new club in the 81^stminute to give the visitors three points in their opening game. St. Pauli started off the new campaign in the same style as last season when they produced some very good performances on the road. However, they struggled to replicate that success on their own turf at first, with just one win, five draws and two losses in their first eight home games. 

Serdar Dursun’s solo was enough to settle a tight first win for Darmstadt over newly-promoted Paderborn at Bollenfalltor last Sunday afternoon. Interestingly, the team started off last season with exactly the same result (against Greuther Furth), but they could not build on that success one year ago, drawing 1-1 with Kaiserslautern in their second match. This season they will want to do better and improve on last term's mid-table finish in tenth place. However, they failed to impress on the road last season with only four wins, eight draws and five defeats.

Both teams have started with a win, but St. Pauli have strengthened their team a lot under Markus Kauczinski and will be looking to make the most of being on home soil this Friday. It could be tight, but back St. Pauli to seal a narrow home win here.

SECOND PREDICTION: HILO – LOW

When these two sides meet goals tend to be scored rarely. In fact, three of the last four encounters have produced only exactly one total goal, while the average over that stretch is 1.5 total goals. I don't expect many goals in this meeting either and take a punt on a low-scoring affair.

HEAD TO HEAD

Darmstadt are undefeated in their last four meetings with St. Pauli, registering four straight wins. The most recent encounter in January ended in a 1-0 defeat for St. Pauli at home.

SC Paderborn - Jahn Regensburg

First three points for home side Paderborn

TEAM NEWS

Steffen Baumgart has a full-strength Paderborn team to choose from when his side entertain Jahn Regensburg in an important game at Benteler Arena this Friday. The only unavailable player is Massih Wassey with a back injury.

Jahn Regensburg's Oliver Hein and Sebastian Nachreiner are both out with a knee injury. However, Achim Beierlorzer can choose from a very good squad for this encounter.

Paderborn

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Massih Wassey (unspecified)

Jahn Regensburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Oliver Hein, Sebastian Nachreiner (both knee)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Newly-promoted Paderborn played an excellent away game against Darmstadt last Sunday, but had nothing to show for it in the standings after falling to a very unlucky 1-0 defeat. The game was even, with no team able to take advantage, but one counter-attack from Darmstadt was enough for Paderborn to leave Bollenfalltor without any points. Although they had a big opportunity to equalise in the 72^ndminute through a penalty Bastina Schonlau’s shot was saved by the opposition’s goalkeeper. However, there were positives to take from the game as Paderborn played solid, aggressive football and had 56% ball possession despite being the away side.

Jahn Regensburg notched their first win of the season in their opener last weekend, beating Ingolstadt 2-1 at home. Back wing Benedikt Saller netted the equaliser before the half-time break while Marc Lais produced the winning goal with a shot inside the box which was deflected by Ingolstadt’s Frederic Ananou. New signings Marcel Correia and Jonas Fohrenbach have adjusted well and made positive contributions to the game. The hosts also dominated the second half as well as ball possession and had three times as many shots on target as the visitors. Jahn Regensburg are continuing to show their excellent fighting spirit from last season and after finishing last term in fifth, they should be able to do well in this campaign too.  

On paper, both sides look evenly matched but following Paderborn's excellent performance against Regensburg, I believe we will see a home win for the newcomers.

SECOND PREDICTION: ODD/EVEN – EVEN

Two of the last three meetings between these teams at Benteler Arena ended with a win by two goals and I expect a repeat here. Have a punt on even goals to be scored again.

HEAD TO HEAD

Paderborn and Jahn Regensburg last met in Germany's third division two years ago, with Regensburg winning twice. 

FC Ingolstadt 04 - Greuther Fürth

Schanzer to seal home triumph in Bavarian derby 

TEAM NEWS

Ingolstadt are without midfield player Christian Trasch, who has suffered a knee injury and could be out until the end of the year while Almog Cohen is still out but working on his comeback already.

Greuther Furth have no fresh injuries or suspensions to worry about.

Ingolstadt

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Christian Trasch (knee), Almog Cohen (ligaments)

Greuther Furth

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None 

Injured/unavailable: None

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Ingolstadt were beaten 2-1 by Jahn Regensburg on the road last Saturday, after an own goal from defender Frederic Ananou in the 72^ndminute. They took the lead early in the game through a shot outside the box from midfield player Konstantin Kerschbaumer but could not take advantage of that lead. The result suggests that the issues that affected Stefan Leitl’s side last season are still a problem now as they controlled the game and accumulated 13 shots, but only managed three on target. Although they have a strong squad that features some excellent young and talented players they may need time to gel and will have to take more risks up front if they are to improve on their ninth-place finish from last season. 

Greuther Furth continued their excellent home run from last term with a 3-1 home win over Sandhausen at Sportpark Ronhof last Saturday, thanks to two goals from newly-signed striker Daniel Keita-Ruel and another from Daniel Steininger. However, the scoreline somewhat flattered the hosts as the teams cancelled each other out and Sandhausen opened the scoring at the start of the second half. Nevertheless, Damir Buric's side did enough to secure the three points and will now look to build on this with their first away win of the campaign. The side will particularly need to pay attention to their away games as they have won only one of the past 21 league matches on their travels, drawing eight and losing 12.

Ingolstadt have the better squad and home advantage against very weak travellers. That should be enough to give them a win in their first home game of the season.

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST TEAM TO SCORE – INGOLSTADT 

Ingolstadt have scored the first goal against Greuther Furth in their last two home encounters in the 2. Bundesliga, winning both matches without conceding a goal. I believe they will be the first team on the scoresheet once again.

HEAD TO HEAD

Ingolstadt have met Greuther Furth six times at Audi Sportpark in Germany's second division, winning three, drawing two and losing only one of those meetings. Moreover, they have kept a clean sheet in the last four.

Dynamo Dresden - MSV Duisburg

Duisburg to grab a point at DDV Arena this time

TEAM NEWS

Dresden won’t have Tim Boss, Soren Gonther, Marco Hartmann and Florian Balls available as the players are all out with different injuries. The club have been fairly quiet during the transfer window, with their biggest moves Baris Atik from Hoffenheim, Linus Wahlqvist from Sweden's Norrkoping, Patrick Ebert from Ingolstadt and Brian Hamalainen from Belgian side Waregem. Dresden have kept most of their key players from last season, as their only three notable departures have been Niklas Hauptmann, Marcel Franke and Marvin Schwabe.

Duisburg have signed goalkeeper Daniel Mesenholer from Union Berlin as well as two strikers with John Verhoek from Heidenheim and Richard Sukuta-Pasu from Sandhausen.  Mark Flekken has moved to Freiburg and Branimir Bajic has retired. 

Dresden

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Tim Boss (pulled muscle); Soren Gonther, Marco Hartmann (both knee); Florian Balls (shoulder)

Duisburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: None

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: DRAW

Dresden worked hard to avoid relegation during last term and accomplished their objective despite remaining winless in their final three games of the season, with two defeats and one draw. Despite their struggles, there was one thing they did do consistently though and that was keeping points on the road, with 22 of their 41 points arriving from their travels. They were the worst home team in the division though, with only five wins, four draws and eight defeats and ended the campaign with three losses and a draw at home .

Duisburg have not seen a lot of transfer activity. They finished seventh in the 2. Bundesliga on 48 points and were one of the top sides during the season, trailing third Holstein Kiel by only eight points. The team lost only one of their last four road trips when receiving a 3-2 beating by relegated Braunschweig, drawing two and winning one, and they were also the fifth best road team overall, scoring 25 and conceding 28 in 17 games.

Both teams still have their main players from last season at their disposal. Duisburg were the much better side when they met last term but were unlucky as they lost their last home game 1-0 in Dresden. This time they will come away with a point at least. I'm predicting a draw.

SECOND PREDICTION: HILO – LOW 

Dresden’s last four home encounters against Duisburg have seen exactly five total goals oerall – with that in mind I expect a very-low scoring game again. 

HEAD TO HEAD

Duisburg’s 2-0 home victory over Dresden in December was their first win on their own turf in this head-to-head in the last seven years. Overall, they have won two of the last five encounters though, drawing two and losing just one.

FC Heidenheim - Arminia Bielefeld

Both teams look evenly matched with draw seeming possible

TEAM NEWS

Heidenheim have been one of the quietest teams in the summer transfer window. The club have brought in young, talented players in the form Niklas Dorsch from Bayern Munich II, Robert Andrich from Wehen and Patrick Schmidt. However, they have lost John Verhoek, Ronny Philp, Kevin Kraus and Marcel Titsch Rivero.

Bielefeld have strengthened their squad with Sven Schipplock from Hamburg, Roberto Massimo from Stuttgart, Joan Simun Edmundsson from Danish team Odense, Nils Seufert from Kaiserlautern, Cedric Brunner from Zurich in Switzerland and Max Christiansen from Ingolstadt. Henri Weigelt, David Ulm, Florian Dick, Christoph Hemlein, Nils Teixeira and Konstantin Kerschbaumer have all left the club.

Heidenheim

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: None

Bielefeld

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: 

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: DRAW

Heidenheim lacked consistency last season, managing just 11 wins and 42 points from 34 games, together with nine draws and 14 defeats. They were only sixth from bottom and very close to the drop zone, with two points separating them from Aue in 16^th. Frank Schmidt’s side must do better this term if they are to avoid being sucked into a desperate fight for survival. They have brought in several players during the summer transfer window. If they cannot gel in the upcoming weeks it will be another difficult campaign for Heidenheim.

Bielefeld enjoyed a superb season after winning 12, drawing 12 and losing ten in 2. Bundesliga. Jeff Saibene’s side made it almost to the playoffs, trailing third placed Holstein Kiel by only eight points. In fact they have lost only two of their last seven away from home (four draws and one win), and that defensive wall means they are very hard to beat, with the team eager to build on that this season again. Reaching for one of the top 4 places would be a tremendous achievement again.

This could be a close game and given that Bielefeld have lost just two road games since late January makes me believe they can hold Heidenheim to a draw.

SECOND PREDICTION: TOTAL GOALS – FOUR 

Two of the last three meetings between these sides have finished with exactly four total goals. With both teams trying to win this encounter I expect them both to be on the scoring sheet and a bet on four total goals seems plausible here too.

HEAD TO HEAD

There have been only three league encounters between these teams in Germany's second division at Voith Arena, with the hosts winning one and drawing two.

SV Darmstadt 98 - SC Paderborn

Lilian to make home advantage count

TEAM NEWS

Darmstadt were not that active during the summer window. They only signed Sebastian Hertner from Aue, Marcel Franke from English outfit Norwich and Patrick Banggaard from Dutch side Roda, while Marcel Heller from Augsburg is back in Darmstadt after one year,. Kevin Grosskreutz, Markus Steinhofer, Peter Niemeyer, Jan Rosenthal, Romain Bregerie and Dong-Won Ji have left the club. Coach Dirk Schuster will have to replace injured striker Felix Platte ahead of the opening game.

Paderborn have signed midfield player Marlon Ritter from Dusseldorf and Mohamed Drager on loan from Freiburg while Uwe Hunemeier has rejoined from Brighton. Other more unknown arrivals are Sebastian Vasiliadis from Aalen, Tobias Schwede from Magdeburg and Klaus Gjasula from Hallescher FC. 

Darmstadt

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Felix Platte (ligaments)

Paderborn

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Tobias Schwede (pulled muscle)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Darmstadt ended their 2. Bundesliga campaign on a decent run, winning five and drawing six of the last 11 games, but their whole season was a disappointment as they ended up only in tenth place despite having much bigger ambitions before the season. Dirk Schuster won’t have any excuses now, given his recent signings, and much is expected from this side this term.

Paderborn were far and away one of the best team in 3. Bundesliga last season. Aside their second place finish on 83 points with the team clinching direct promotion, it is worth noting that their road form last season was also impressive. They registered 11 wins, five draws and only three defeats in 19 games on their travel, boasting the best away record in the division and keeping a clean sheet in eight of those matches.

It is always hard to start against a newly-promoted team in the opener, but Darmstadt should have the experience to improve from last season. I'm backing a win for the hosts.

SECOND PREDICTION: ODD/EVEN – EVEN

Just two of Darmstadt's last six home games ended with an odd amount of total goals while the same can be said about three of Paderborn's last ten league games on the road. Expect even goals here.

HEAD TO HEAD

These two will meet for the first time in 2. Bundesliga. 

Union Berlin - Erzgebirge Aue

Union Berlin to secure three points at Alte Forsterei

TEAM NEWS

Union Berlin have signed Florian Hubner and Manuel Schmidebach from Hannover, Joshua Mees from Jahn Regensburg, Rafal Gikiewicz from Freiburg, Ken Reichel from Braunschweig, Christopher Lenz from Union Berlin and Eroll Zejnullahu from Sandhausen. However, they have lost important key players, including Steven Skrzybski, Kristian Pedersen, Philipp Hosiner, Stephan Furstner, Dennis Daube, Daniel Mesenholer and Toni Leistner. In addition, Marc Torrejon, Fabian Schonheim and Sebastian Polter won't be ready for the season opener.

Aue have had a busy transfer window, bringing in Jan Hochscheidt and Steve Breitkreutz from Braunschweig, Filip Kusic from Cologne, Rom Baumgart from Chemnitz and Robert Herrmann from Sandhausen. Nevertheless, they have lost more quality than they signed so far because key players like Pascal Kopke and Sebastian Hertner have left the club. Furthermore, they have to deal without Steve Breitkreuz who has suffered a knee injury.

Union Berlin

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Marc Torrejon (muscle), Fabian Schonheim (knee), Sebastian Polter (Achilles)

Aue

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Steve Breitkreuz (knee)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Union Berlin were talking anout promotion at the start of last season but had only an average campaign, finishing in eighth place with 12 wins, 11 draws and 11 defeats. They were  disappointed about the outcome of last term and made a lot of changes to their squad. New coach Urs Fischer has plenty of young talented players at his disposal, but Union Berlin will be missing the departed Steven Skrzybski, who proved one of their most promising stars last season. Union Berlin are known for their great home support and lost only three time on their own ground last season (seven wins, seven draws). They should be very hard to beat at Alte Forsterei this season again.

Aue were desperately poor last season, finishing third from bottom with just 40 points from 34 games. However, they managed to win their playoff games against Karlsruhe 3-1 on aggregate to avoid relegation. Nevertheless, they have to do without a lot of key players from last season who have all left for pastures anew. Unknown Daniel Meyer is the new boss in the dugout and he has plenty of work to do with a lot of changes in squad, although he might have felt that he had to do something drastic in order to bring about improvement. Aue look like one of the relegation candidates this season, but they had a decent pre-season with three wins and a draw.

Union Berlin are the stronger side here and they have home advantage. Their players should be physically or mentally better prepared for the new campaign than Aue’s. I predict a home win.

SECOND PREDICTION: CORRECT SCORE – 1-0

Two of Union Berlin's last three league wins were secured via 1-0 scorelines while Aue lost their last league outing by the same result. With two of their last three meetings seeing one or no goal, I'm going for the same outcome here.

HEAD TO HEAD

When these two last squared off in March, the match finished goalless. However, Union Berlin have the edge on home soil with five wins, two draws and two defeats.

FC Magdeburg - FC St. Pauli

Newly-promoted Magdeburg to start with a home win

TEAM NEWS

Newly-promoted Magdeburg have undergone a massive overhaul. They parted with several players who were not good enough to play in the 2. Bundesliga and made several interesting moves. They have signed quality players such as Aleksandar Ignjovski, Jasmin Fejzic and Mergim Berisha. It remains to be seen how they will perform at first, but they have a lot of potential. In Manfred Kwadwo and Joel Hanna, Magdeburg have two players not at their disposal for the opener due to injury.

St. Pauli are at full strength with the exception of Jan-Philipp Kalla and Marc Hornschuh, who are both injured. The club saw several players leaving (most notably Lasse Sobiech, Maurice Litka and Kyooung-rok Choi) whilst adding some much-needed experience in the form of Marvin Knoll and Mats Moller Daehli.

Magdeburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Manfred Kwadwo, Joel Hanna (both pulled muscle)

St. Pauli

Suspended: 

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Jan-Philipp Kalla (pubis), Marc Hornschuh (slipped disc)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Magdeburg were promoted to the 2. Bundesliga after they were already very close two seasons ago. They managed a decent campaign, finishing in first place with 85 Points, and ended their 3. Bundesliga Season with 27 wins, four draws and only seven defeats. However, they have to improve in the the second tier, which is of a very different calibre. Nevertheless, I believe the squad is strong enough to stay away from relegation trouble and their home fortress can be a big advantage with Jens Hertel's men losing just once on their own turf last season (15 wins, three draws).

St. Pauli might have been underwhelming on their home ground last season but on the road they collected some very good results – with six wins, two draws and nine defeats. Nevertheless, they ended up very close to the drop zone with only three points separating them from Aue in 16^thplace as they had a lot of problems with injuries. Some changes in the squad should help them to get some fresh blood.

Home advantage should decide this game above all. Magdeburg are known for their hot atmosphere and great fans and thats can push the team to a first win in their first game in 2. Bundesliga. 

SECOND PREDICTION: CORRECT SCORE – 2-1

Magdeburg have scored exactly two in four of their last five home games in the league while St. Pauli managed only one goal on average in their last five league matches. My money is on a 2-1 Magdeburg triumph in this opener.

HEAD TO HEAD

These teams will meet for the first time at MDCC Arena in the 2. Bundesliga. 

Jahn Regensburg - FC Ingolstadt 04

Ingolstadt to take revenge for last season defeats

TEAM NEWS

Jahn Regensburg should not have any important absentees ahead of this game. However, they will be considerably weaker than last season, having lost some of their best players following the departures of Marvin Knoll, Marcel Hofrath, Joshua Mees and Benedikt Gimber. The club have made decent signings in the form of Julian-Maurice Derstroff from Sandhausen, Marcel Correia from Kaiserslautern, Jonas Fohrenbach from Freiburg, Ali Odabas from Zwickau and Maximilian Thalhammer from Ingolstadt, and all hope the new arrivals can fully cover those that have left. Additionally, they have to replace both long-term injured Oliver Hein and Sebastian Nachreiner.

Ingolstadt have been one of the busiest teams on the transfer market so far. They have added 15 players at the time of writing, but have lost 12. It was clear the squad were too weak last season and they tried to take the opportunity to strengthen their ranks during the break  Among the new players, Lucas Galvao, Thorsten Rocher, Konstantin Kerschbaumer, Benedikt Gimber, Carlison Benschop and Osayamen Osawe stand out the most. Ingolstadt should be at full strength ahead of the season opener, only long term injured Chrsitian Trasch is missing.

Jahn Regensburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Oliver Hein, Sebastian Nachreiner (both knee)

Ingolstadt

Suspended: None 

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Christain Trasch (knee)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: AWAY WIN

Jahn Regensburg are coming off a decent campaign in the 2. Bundesliga where they registered 14 wins, six draws and 14 defeats. Overall, they finished the season in an excellent fifth place with 48 points, and that granted them a season without any trouble. Their biggest strength lay up front as they scored the fifth most goals with 53 in the league, but they had one of the worst defensive lines conceding 53. Coach Achim Beierlorzer was looking to strengthen the defensive play in the training sessions to start the season as well as they finished the last.

In contrast, Ingolstadt’s last campaign was underwhelming. They could have done far more, but instead they finished on a disappointing ninth place with just 45 points while being one of the worst home teams in the league, securing only 19 points in 17 games. However, their road record in 2. Bundesliga was much better with seven wins, five draws and five defeats. It will be interesting to see if they be able to turn things around with a new team this term.

Regensburg are solid at home, but Ingolstadt have by far the better team on paper and they had more success on the road last season. That should be enough to put some money on the Schanzer. I'm going with an away win.

SECOND PREDICTION: HILO – HIGH 

When these two sides meet each other there always tend to be plenty of goals, with the last five averaging 4.8. I expect goals for both and it is just a case of how many. Take a punt on a high-scoring outcome at Continental Arena on Saturday.

HEAD TO HEAD

Jahn Regensburg won both encounters against Ingolstadt last season (4-2 and 3-2). However, that was their first two wins over the Schanzer in 2. Bundesliga in four attempts, with two defeats.

Greuther Fürth - SV Sandhausen

Greuther Furth continue good home run

TEAM NEWS

Greuther Furth have signed Julian Green from Stuttgart, Mario Maloca from Lechia in Poland, Maximilian Sauer from Braunschweig and David Atanga from Austrian outfit Salzburg, amongst others. A lot of players have left the club with Khaled Narey, Mathis Bolly, Jurgen Gjasula, Sercan Sararer, Stephen Sama, Tolcay Cigerci, Uffe Bech and Balazs Megyeri the most noteworthy. Marco Caligiuri will miss the opener with a pulled muscle.

Sandhausen have seen no fewer than 13 players leave – including Richard Sukuta-Pasu, Julian-Maurice Derstroff, Manuel Striefler -  and 12 join. Most of them are unknown, but Karim Guede from Freiburg could make his mark here. Kenan Kocak does not have Tim Knipping at his disposal, but he is already working on his comeback.

Greuther Furth

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Marco Caligiuri (pulled muscle)

Sandhausen

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Tim Knipping (broken foot)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Greuther Furth endured a disappointing 2. Bundesliga campaign, winning just ten games, drawing ten and losing 14, whilst finishing 15^thin the league table with only 40 points. Only a slightly superior goal difference over Aue in the relegation playoff place saved them from the drop into the third tier. Like this weekend's opponents Sandhausen, they struggled to score enough goals, but the arrival of Daniel Keita-Ruel and Julien Green should make their attack a lot more potent. If coach Damir Buric can find the right mix this could be a much more relaxed season for Furth.

Sandhausen were solid but inconsistent last season, eventually finishing in 11^thplace, just three points above the drop zone. Kenan Kocak’s side are one of the relegation candidates this term if they do not find their scoring touch. They must become more clinical as only 35 goals scored in their 34 games last season is too little, with no teams finding the net on fewer occasions. Having not won in their last four league games (two draws, two defeats), Sandhausen will be determined to get off to a winning start, but their pre-season has been mixed with two wins, one draw and one defeat.

Sandhausen are winless in their last seven meetings with Greuther Furth, managing just five draws and two defeats. Greuther Furth should win this one. 

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST TEAM TO SCORE – GREUTHER FURTH

Greuther Furth have scored the opening goal in four of their last five home league meetings with Sandhausen. Back Greuther Furth to open the scoring this weekend again.

HEAD TO HEAD

These two have only met 11 times in the league, with Greuther Furth beating Sandhausen five times and drawing five whilst losing on only one occasion.

VfL Bochum - 1.FC Köln

A draw seems likely to begin between these two

TEAM NEWS

Bochum are at full strength. They are one of the teams that did a great job on the transfer market as they acquired several interesting players, including Milos Pantovic from Bayern Munich II, Robert Tesche from English side Birmingham, Sebastian Maier from Hannover, Silvere Ganvoula from Anderlecht in Belgium and Vitaly Janelt from RB Leipzig. In Jannik Bandowski they have the only absentee with a knee injury.

After being relegated from Germany's top flight, Cologne have lost several players such as Leonardo Bittencourt, Yuya Osako, Dominique Heintz, Lukas Klunter, Milos Jojic and Dominic Maroh, but the club have made decent signings in the form of new midfielder Dominick Drexler and Rafael Czichos from Holstein Kiel, Louis Schaub from Austrian outfit Rapid Vienna, Benno Schmitz from RB Leipzig and Lasse Sobiech from St. Pauli. Coach Markus Anfang has to replace only injured Marco Hoger for the opener.

Bochum

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Jannik Bandowski (knee)

Cologne

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Marco Hoger (shoulder)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: DRAW

Bochum were one of the best teams in the 2. Bundesliga last season after Robin Dutt took over. They managed to win six, draw four and lose only one under him in the final phase of the campaign and ended up on an excellent sixth place despite enduring a lot of trouble during the season. The team have improved their squad in the meatime and should be ready to start the new term with more good results. They could certainly be the dark horses this season.

Relegated Cologne are coming off a disappointing season in 1. Bundesliga which ended with 22 defeats, seven draws and only five wins as well as a disappointing goal difference from -35, which saw them rooted to the bottom of the table However, their aim is to return immediately to 1. Bundesliga and with one of the top squads in the division beside Hamburg they are among the clear-cut favourites for the title. Furthermore, they have made some very good signings, especially from new coach Markus Anfang’s former club Holstein Kiel.

Both teams have a very good squad at their disposal and are evenly matched on paper. Expect this one to end in a draw.

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST HALF HAD – DRAW

Ten of Bochum's 17 home games last season were level at half time, with no other team boasting a higher number. Put your money on the teams to be level at the break on Saturday too.

HEAD TO HEAD

Bochum have lost just one of their last five home league meetings against Cologne, winning three and drawing one. Overall they have an even record against Cologne with 11 wins, eight draws and 13 defeats at Vonovia Stadium.

Hamburger SV - Holstein Kiel

Hamburg to start with a clear win

TEAM NEWS

Hamburg have lost several players from last aeason but have signed David Bates from Scottish club Glasgow Rangers, Christoph Moritz from Kaiserslautern, Kairo Samperio from Spain's Las Palmas and Khaled Narey from Greuther Furth. They also have striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga back after his loan to English Championship outfit Leeds. Both Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Gideon Jung will miss the first half of the season with knee injuries while Arianit Ferati is out with a torn ligament.

Holstein Kiel are not expected to be at full strength ahead of this game. The side have lost several key players during the transfer window, including last season's top scorer Marvin Ducksch, midfield motor Dominick Drexler, defender Rafael Czichos, left back Christopher Lenz, Amara Conde and Tom Weilandt, while their new additions are mostly unknown at best, with Hauke Wahl from Ingolstadt, Stefan Thesker from Dutch side Twente, Jae-Song Lee from Jeonbuk in South Korea and Dominik Reimann from Dortmund the most noteworthy.

Hamburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Gideon Jung (both knee); Arianit Ferati (ligaments)

Holstein Kiel

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None 

Injured/unavailable: None

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Hamburg worked hard to avoid their first relegation from the top flight in the club's history last season but they were helpless in the end despite finishing the campaign with a 2-1 win over Monchengladbach. After 99 years and 1866 matches in 1. Bundesliga they dropped to Germany's second tier, but it was no surprise given their poor campaign with eight wins, seven draws and 19 defeats. Despite their struggles, there is on thing they did well consistently though and that was maintaining their belie in themselves. The side are one of the biggest favourites for promotion besides Cologne with an excellent squad available.

Holstein Kiel were an interesting team last season as they came close to securing promotion to 1. Bundesliga, falling short in the playoff matches against Wolfsburg where they lost 4-1 on aggregate. However, given their recent departures and new arrivals during the transfer window so far, it is unlikely they will be involved in the battle for a top three spot this time again. In fact, on paper, they appear more likely candidates for relegation. 

Holstein Kiel had lots of problems during the summer break and I expect that will not have solved it in this game against a side who have nothing else apart from promotion on their mind. Hamburg will count on an almost sold-out stadium to begin life in the second division ad they will push for a first win. 

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST TEAM TO SCORE – HAMBURG 

Hamburg scored the first goal against Holstein Kiel in their only ever competitive encounter in the cup 11 years ago. Of course, times have changed but Hamburg are expected to play with an attacking approach in this one and they have had a strong pre-season with five wins and just one defeat in six games, scoring 19 goals in the process. I believe they will be the first team on the scoresheet.

HEAD TO HEAD

This Northern derby takes place for the first time in 2. Bundesliga. The last meeting between these teams took place at Holstein Stadium in the cup in 2007, with Hamburg winning 5-0.