Union Berlin - St. Pauli

Union Berlin to pick up second win

TEAM NEWS

Union Berlin could once again be without the long-term injured Fabian Schonheim and Sebastian Polter.

Both Jan-Philipp Kalla and Marc Hornschuh, who has already missed the two first games of the season, remain injury concerns for Markus Kauczinski’s St. Pauli. Christopher Buchtmann has problems with his hand and is a doubt for the encounter in Berlin.

Union Berlin

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

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

St. Pauli

Suspended: None

Doubtful: Christopher Buchtmann (hand)

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

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Union Berlin, who finished eighth in the 2. Bundesliga last term, trailing the playoff places by nine points, kicked off their season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Aue at Alte Forsterei, with Felix Kroos scoring the only goal of the game with an excellent free kick in injury time. The team then posted a surprise result in the second round against promotion candidates Cologne, holding them to an excellent 1-1 draw two weeks ago – although Cologne was dominating the whole game. Union Berlin continued their unbeaten run in the cup against 3. Bundesliga side Jena last weekend, with a 4-2 win.

St. Pauli have enjoyed a perfect start to the league with two wins and are sitting at the top of the 2. Bundesliga, but their cup match last weekend was a different matter as the team lost 3-2 in extra time against third division club Wehen last Friday. The defeat was not expected considering they have such a good squad at their disposal and St. Pauli had hoped to get further in the competition. However, their full focus will be on the league now and they will aim for a place at the top of the standings right from the beginning.

This could be a close encounter at Alte Forsterei, but I can see the hosts just nicking it. My money is going on a tight Union Berlin victory this Sunday.

SECOND PREDICTION: ODD/EVEN – ODD

This could be a close matchup at Alte Forsterei, and one goal could be enough to win it. Five of Union Berlin’s last seven league wins have come by one goal, so back odd goals to be scored in Berlin at the weekend.

HEAD TO HEAD

There have been only nine 2. Bundesliga meetings between these teams in Berlin, with the hosts winning seven, drawing one and losing only once.

Jahn Regensburg - Holstein Kiel

Holstein Kiel to claim narrow victory

TEAM NEWS

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

The injured Arne Sicker and Philipp Sander will not be available for the encounter at Continental Arena while Johannes van den Bergh is sidelined with suspension.

Jahn Regensburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

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

Holstein Kiel

Suspended: Johannes van den Bergh

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Arne Sicker, Philipp Sander (both unspecified)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: AWAY WIN

After a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ingolstadt in their opening league game, Jahn Regensburg were brought back down to earth with a bang two weeks ago. Achim Beierlorzer’s team were outplayed by newly-promoted Paderborn and lost deservedly 2-0 at Benteler-Arena. The side certainly have the ability to bounce back, but are coming off yet another disappointing result as they were knocked out by fifth tier side BSG Chemie Leipzig in the cup last weekend, losing 2-1. Their full focus will be on the league now where they have won seven and lost two of the last nine league matches at Continental Arena, last season included.

Despite plenty of key players leaving this summer, Tim Walter’s Holstein Kiel have made a fine start to their 2. Bundesliga campaign. Their excellent 3-0 win at giants Hamburg in round one was a big surprise and followed up by a 1-1 home draw against Heidenheim. They continued their good run with a 3-1 cup triumph away at 3. Bundesliga side 1860 Munich to advance to the next stage of the competition. The Storks were the third best team in 2. Bundesliga last season and have the potential to reach a similar place again.

Regensburg have certainly not set the world alight so far this term, and should be the underdogs against Holstein Kiel despite enjoying the home advantage. I expect Holstein Kiel to continue the seven-match unbeaten run (five wins, two draws) against Jahn Regensburg and my money is going on a Kiel win.

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST TEAM TO SCORE – HOLSTEIN KIEL

Holstein Kiel have scored the first goal against Jahn Regensburg in their last six encounters in league action. I believe they will be the first team on the scoresheet once again.

HEAD TO HEAD

These two have only met twice in the second division, with Holstein Kiel beating Jahn Regensburg 2-1 away from home and holding them to a 1-1 draw on home soil last season.

1.FC Köln - Erzgebirge Aue

Cologne to make most of home advantage

TEAM NEWS

Cologne will be without the injured Marco Hoger, but he should again be available in the upcoming weeks.

Midfielder Steve Breitkreuz, 'keeper Robert Jendrusch and Florian Kruger are the only absentees for Daniel Meyer’s Aue.

Cologne

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Marco Hoger (shoulder)

Aue

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Steve Breitkreuz (knee), Robert Jendrusch (meniscus), Florian Kruger (ribbon)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Having played two 2. Bundesliga games and picked up four points form a possible six, Cologne are currently part of a five-team strong chasing pack behind early leaders St. Pauli. After winning comfortably 2-0 away from home against Bochum in the opening round, they experienced a small setback with the 1-1 home draw against Union Berlin last time out. The club also ran over fourth-tier side BFC Dynamo in the cup at the weekend, winning 9-1. Markus Anfang’s men, who have been tipped as one of the favourites this season, already look capable of winning promotion. 

Daniel Meyer has found life tough at Aue so far as his side have mustered up just one point from two games. They fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Union Berlin in the opener, conceding the winner right at the death. Aue then had to settle with a point in a 0-0 draw against newly-promoted Magdeburg on home soil two weeks ago. They were also kicked out of the cup by 1. Bundesliga team Mainz at the weekend despite playing with a numerical advantage for over 85 minutes. Aue are hoping to improve on their 16^thplace finish from last season, but the fact that they were the third worst team on the road last season won't inspire confidence.

Aue have been struggling to get going under new coach Meyer, and I fancy them to find it tough in this one, too. Back Cologne to claim all three points on home ground.

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST TEAM TO SCORE – COLOGNE 

Cologne should get off the mark early in this game as they have done in their last three meetings with Aue on home soil. I expect the same again as Cologne has the much better attack and should overcome Aue’s defensive line easily.

HEAD TO HEAD

Cologne are undefeated in their last three meetings with Aue at Rhein Energie Stadium, registering three straight wins. The most recent encounter in March 2014 ended in a 2-2 draw at Aue.

Greuther Fürth - SC Paderborn

Even encounter at Sportpark Ronhof

TEAM NEWS

Greuther Furth have no fresh injuries or suspensions to worry about but have Marco Caligiuri doubtful for this encounter at Sportpark Ronhof.

Steffen Baumgart has a full-strength Paderborn team to choose from when his side travel to Furth. The only unavailable player is Massih Wassey with a back injury.

Greuther Furth

Suspended: None

Doubtful: Marco Caligiuri (pulled muscle)

Injured/unavailable: None

Paderborn

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Massih Wassey (unspecified)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: DRAW

Greuther Furth have got off to a good 2. Bundesliga start with one win and one draw, but the team were knocked out of the German cup after losing in extra time against 1. Bundesliga side Dortmund.The team have the potential to do better than last season when they escaped the drop zone by a better goal difference, but there are certain areas they will need to improve. They should keep an eye on controlling the game more and be more clinical in front of goal. However, they have scored four in their first two league matches, which is the joint-second highest in the league.

After a very unlucky 1-0 away defeat to Darmstadt in their opening 2. Bundesliga match of the season, Paderborn earned a 2-0 home win against Jahn Regensburg two weeks ago. Klaus Gjasula opened the scoring for SCP in the 31^stminute, netting his first goal of the season, before Phililipp Klement secured the three points with his 2-0. Steffen Baumgart was very happy with the result as his men appear to have picked up where they left off when they gained promotion from 3. Bundesliga last season. They also beat Ingolstadt easily in the cup last Monday via a 2-1 win and continued with their good style of play.

Both teams will be desperate to claim all three points in this clash and I can see the pair cancelling each other out at Sportpark Ronhof. I’m predicting a draw between these two sides.

SECOND PREDICTION: HILO – HIGH 

This encounter should produce many goals. Going back to last season, only one of Greuther Furth's last seven home games has produced fewer than three total goals. I believe we will see a high-scoring game again, with both teams on the scoresheet.

HEAD TO HEAD

Greuther Furth have won their last four league meetings against Paderborn on home soil and have not lost the last eight at home, winning five and drawing three.

FC Magdeburg - FC Ingolstadt 04

More misery for sorry Ingolstadt this weekend

TEAM NEWS

Jens Hartel’s Magdeburg will yet again be without Manfred Kwadwo and Joel Hanna, who are still recovering from injuries while Charles Elie Laprevotte got injured a few days ago and is sidelined for this encounter against Ingolstadt.

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 absent too but is working on his comeback.

Magdeburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Manfred Kwadwo, Joel Hanna (both pulled muscle), Charles Elie Laprevotte (thigh)

Ingolstadt

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

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

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Newly-promoted Magdeburg have had an average start to the season, having claimed just one point in a 0-0 draw against Aue in their first two games. However, they have been producing good performances – and this will give them hope for better results in the upcoming weeks. They will need to address their apparent lack of goalscoring chances quickly though. The team have scored just once so far in their last three competitive matches as they drew another blank in their 1-0 loss at home against Darmstadt in the cup last last Friday. As a result, they have been knocked out of the competition. 

Ingolstadt are coming into this encounter with huge pressure on their shoulders, having failed to win in their first two league matches. They were able to score only a single goal in those matches. Travelling to unknown opponents who they have never played before won't be ideal to get back on track, but claiming the three points will be important here if they do not want to lose too much ground to the leaders. In the cup, Ingolstadt were beaten easily 2-1 by Paderborn last Monday.

Ingolstadt’s form has been very poor of late and Magdeburg’s fighting spirit in front of their crowd should be too much for them. I back the newcomers to claim their first win of the season. 

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST HALF HAD – DRAW

Magdeburg and Ingolstadt have both registered just one first-half goal so far and I expect a low-scoring first 45 minutes here too. Overall, both teams had problems to get their attack starting, with Magdeburg scoring one and Ingolstadt netting two. I expect a draw at half time.

HEAD TO HEAD

These teams will meet for the first time this weekend. 

SV Darmstadt 98 - MSV Duisburg

Back-to-back home wins for Darmstadt

TEAM NEWS

Darmstadt’s Felix Platte is out after suffering a ligament tear.

Duisburg have no fresh injury or suspension worries, meaning coach Iliya Gruev can choose from a very good squad against Bochum.

Darmstadt

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Felix Platte (torn ligaments)

Duisburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: None

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

After kicking the league campaign off with a 1-0 win over newly-promoted Paderborn, Darmstadt’s euphoria ground to a halt as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat away at St. Pauli in their last league match a fortnight ago. The team appeared helpless and failed to find a way back into the match after conceding the opening goal early in the second half, losing deservedly. However, they advanced in the cup after beating fellow second-tier club Magdeburg 1-0. Despite that defeat in their last away league game, I do think they have the potential to reach the top 10 this season. 

After starting the new campaign horribly with two consecutive defeats and no single goal scored, Duisburg improved slightly in the cup last weekend, beating Oberliga outfit Dassendorf 1-0 away and advancing to the next round of the competition. However, they should have deserved a better result than their 2-0 loss at home against Bochum in their last league fixture two weeks ago because they had more shots on target and more ball possession in that game. Nevertheless, the fact that they have found the back of the net just once in those three competitive games will be a worry.

This will unquestionably be a tough game for both sides, but Darmstadt are better at the moment and they have the home advantage. I predict a home win.

SECOND PREDICTION: HILO – LOW 

Both teams have found it difficult to find the net in their first two league matches this season, with Darmstadt only scoring a single goal while Duisburg are still scoreless. I predict a low-scoring encounter.

HEAD TO HEAD

Duisburg may have won the last league meeting between these teams, claiming a 2-1 away victory in February, but Darmstadt were on a six-match winning streak beforehand, with that run stretching all the way back to 1979.

VfL Bochum - SV Sandhausen

Bochum to pile more misery on Sandhausen

TEAM NEWS

Bochum's Jannik Bandowski and Thomas Eisfeld are working on their comebacks and are unavailable. Sidney Sam saw a red card against Duisburg in round two and is suspended for the next two league games.

Sandhausen’s Tim Knipping, Nejmeddin Daghfous, Karim Guede, Rurik Gislason and Andrew Wooten are all out with different injuries. 

Bochum

Suspended: Sidney Sam

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Jannik Bandowski (knee), Thomas Eisfeld (unspecified)

Sandhausen

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None 

Injured/unavailable: Tim Knipping (broken foot), Andrew Wooten (pulled muscle), Nejmeddin Daghfous (calf), Karim Guede (knee), Rurik Gislason (unspecified)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Having kicked off their season with a 2-0 home loss to promotion candidates Cologne, Robin Dutt’s Bochum followed up that disappointing result with their own 2-0 win on the road against Duisburg in their last league outing two weeks ago. However, their momentum didn't last for long as they fell to an unexpected 1-0 defeat against fourth-tier outfit Weiche Flensburg last weekend, exiting the cup. Bochum certainly had good moments in that game, but never found a way to beat Flensburg's defensive line. Nevertheless, since Dutt's arrival on the sidelines, the team have won seven, drawn four and lost only three of the 14 league matches with him in charge. 

Sandhausen considerably changed their squad during the transfer window, but not in a positive way as they are significantly weaker this time around. SVS could struggle to build on last season’s 11^thplace finish and their first two results this season have been testament to this as Kenan Kocak’s men started with two defeats from two league games. In both losses against Greuther Furth (3-1) and Hamburg (3-0), Sandhausen's defensive work was awful while they seriously need to work on their attack too. However, their 6-0 thrashing of Regional West team Oberhausen in the cup last weekend will have restored their confidence to some extent. 

Sandhausen will be desperate to put some points on the board sooner rather than later, but I can see Bochum piling more misery on Kocak’s team on Friday. My money is going on a Bochum win here.

SECOND PREDICTION: HILO – HIGH 

The last three league meetings between these teams at Vonovia Stadium have seen 3.67 total goals on average and with both teams in need of points, I predict a very open game with a lot of scoring opportunities. With that in mind I predict a high-scoring encounter. 

HEAD TO HEAD

Bochum have met Sandhausen six times at Vonovia Ruhrstadium in Germany's second division, winning three, drawing two and losing only one of those encounters. Moreover, they have scored at least two goals in the last three on home soil.

1.FC Köln - Union Berlin

Favourites Cologne to take all three points

TEAM NEWS

Cologne will be without the injured Marco Hoger while Jorge Mere was sent off against Bochum after two yellow cards and is suspended for this match. 

Union Berlin could once again be without the long-term injured Fabian Schonheim and Sebastian Polter.

Cologne

Suspended: Jorge Mere

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Marco Hoger (shoulder)

Union Berlin

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

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

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Promotion candidates Cologne started with a victory into the new season as they beat Bochum 2-0 away last Saturday. Maxim Leitsch scored an own goal to give Cologne the lead before the break while newly-signed defender Rafael Czichos scored a second goal from close range in the 59^thminute to secure the victory in a closely contested match. Although they were not particularly impressive and managed only five shots on target over the course of the game, Markus Anfang's side will be pleased about getting the new season off to the perfect start and will now look to repeat that feat in their first home encounter of the campaign against Union Berlin.

Union Berlin produced a dominant performance in their opener at home against Aue last time out, in which they had an incredible 17 attempts on goal. Urs Fischer’s side applied incessant pressure on their opponents from the moment the game kicked off, but they found the net only once. Felix Kroos' goal in 87^thminute was enough for a narrow 1-0 home win. Nevertheless, Union Berlin were very happy with the outcome and the three points. With that win in the bag, they can travel to promotion favourites Cologne without a lot less pressure.

Both teams have started the new campaign with a win, but the two squads are very different in terms of quality. Furthermore, Union Berlin didn't impress on the road last term, with only two wins, three draws and six losses in their last 11 matches. Giants Cologne should be able to get the job done in front of their crowd. 

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST TEAM TO SCORE – COLOGNE 

Historically, Cologne have scored first in all of their three home league encounters against Union Berlin, netting an incredible 13 goals whilst keeping a clean sheet in each game. Expect the hosts to break the deadlock again here.

HEAD TO HEAD

There have been only six league meetings between these teams, with Cologne winning five and losing only once.

SV Sandhausen - Hamburger SV

Big three points for HSV in Sandhausen

TEAM NEWS

Sandhausen’s Tim Knipping, Nejmeddin Daghfous, Korbinian Vollmann, Karim Guede and Andrew Wooten are all out with different injuries. 

Christian Titz’s Hamburg are at full strength ahead of this clash at Hardtwald Stadium. Only the long-term injured Gideon Jung, Arianit Ferati and Kyriakos Papadopoulos are absentees while Aron Hunt faces a calf injury and is unavailable too.

Sandhausen

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Tim Knipping (broken foot), Andrew Wooten (pulled muscle), Nejmeddin Daghfous (calf), Korbinian Vollmann (muscle), Karim Guede (knee)

Hamburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

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

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: AWAY WIN

Sandhausen continued their disappointing start to the season last Saturday as they lost 3-1 away to Greuther Furth. Philipp Klingmann scored the only goal for the team in a match with few chances for either side. Although Sandhausen took the first lead early in the second half they lacked the clinical edge they had demonstrated in some of their games last season – however, overall they are known for scoring not too many goals, notching just over one on average last season. It is not often they concede more than two goals though – only once last season – and with their scoring weakness in mind it is important they work on their defensive strategy to avoid a repeat of last weekend's performance whilst trying to improve their attack. 

Hamburg started life in Germany's second division with a 3-0 home loss to Holstein Kiel last Friday. Neither team managed to take the lead in the first half but Holstein opened the scoring ten minutes after the interval with an excellent shot outside the box from Jonas Meffert. Hamburg failed to threaten offensively and two more goals followed. The loss points to a crisis at the historic Bundesliga club, who had almost no shots on goal. Coach Christian Titz and his men are in desperate need of results as they are targeting a return to the top flight at the first time of asking, but they had the joint second worst points tally on the road in the 1. Bundesliga last season and that doesn't inspire confidence.

However,  although they were clearly not at their best last weekend, Hamburg have a newly-built team and it might simply be a case of the side needing a little time to gel and to get used to the second division. The visitors do have the better squad in this fixture and I think they will find their goalscoring touch and register an away win.

SECOND PREDICTION: CORRECT SCORE – 1-2

Three of Hamburg’s five pre-season wins have come by a one-goal margin with two of them ending 2-1 in their favour. Sandhausen conceded two or more goals in all of their last six league defeats, scoring five goals in those games. I like the look of a 2-1 win for the visitors here.

HEAD TO HEAD

These teams will meet for the first time this weekend. 

Holstein Kiel - FC Heidenheim

Holstein Kiel to make home advantage count

TEAM NEWS

The injured Arne Sicker and Philipp Sander will not be available for the encounter against Heidenheim at Holstein Stadium.

Frank Schmidt’s Heidenheim will have to do without defender Timo Beermann and midfield player Matthias Wittek

Holstein Kiel

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Arne Sicker, Philipp Sander (both unspecified)

Heidenheim

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Timo Beermann (calf), Matthias Wittek (knee)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Holstein Kiel secured their first away win in the opener last Friday as they beat giants Hamburg by an incredible 3-0 scoreline. The game was very even until Jonas Meffert finally broke the deadlock with an excellent shot outside the box in the 56^thminute before David Kinsombi and Mathias Honsak closed the show with one goal each. Despite having a lot of new players in the starting line-up, Holstein Kiel looked impressive and outplayed Hamburg in the second half. Above all, Lee Jae-Sung had a great day and helped his team to spring the first surprise of the season. They are currently one of only five teams who did not concede in the first round and will look to build on their well-executed counter-attacking strategy moving forward. The team had the fourth best defence on home soil last season, with only 19 goals conceded.

Heidenheim claimed a deserved 1-1 draw in last weekend’s standout match against Bielefeld. The team took the lead shortly before the half-time break before they conceded the equaliser two minutes later. Although they have now dropped their first two points this term, they were happy with the result and their good start to the campaign highlights that they have a squad capable of competing with the other strong clubs in the 2. Bundesliga. This could be a much better season than their last one which they finished in 13^thplace, two points above the relegation zone.

A hard fight is expected between these two sides, but Heidenheim have not managed to win against Holstein Kiel since 2014 and I therefore think this will end in another win for Tim Walter’s men.

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST TEAM TO SCORE – HOLSTEIN KIEL

Holstein Kiel should find the net first against Heidenheim, as indeed they have done in two of their last three home encounters against FCH.

HEAD TO HEAD

These two have only met twice in the second division, with Holstein Kiel beating Heidenheim 5-3 away from home and 2-1 on home soil last season.

Erzgebirge Aue - FC Magdeburg

Both teams look evenly matched with draw possible

TEAM NEWS

Midfielder Steve Breitkreuz, who has a knee injury, is the only absentee for Daniel Meyer’s Aue.

Jens Hartel’s Mageburg will yet again be without Manfred Kwadwo and Joel Hanna, who are still recovering from injuries.

Aue

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Steve Breitkreuz (knee)

Magdeburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

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

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: DRAW

Aue were unlucky in their opener as they lost 1-0 on the road to Union Berlin, with the winning goal arriving three minutes from time. Their attack just wasn’t up to scratch, but overall the team performed well. However, they may be encountering the same problem as last season when they hardly scored goals, registering only 35 throughout the campaign, and this is an area they clearly need to improve on quickly. Overall, their squad looks weaker than last term and the upcoming matches against newcomers Magdeburg and Cologne won't be easy. Having to start the new campaign against unknown opposition may put Aue at a disadvantage, but it is important they secure points quickly. 

Mageburg lost for the first time in the last 13 league matches (ten wins, two draws) as they were edged 2-1 at home by St. Pauli last weekend. They allowed goals in the 29^thand 81^stminutes and although they had opened the scoring in the 17^thminute, they could not find the net a second time. FCM's away record last season was the second best in the third division with 12 wins, one draw and six defeats. In those matches they were able to keep six clean sheets and they will hope to build on this form.

On paper, this looks like it will be heading for a draw. Both Aue and Magdeburg have lost their opener and are in need of points. I can see a very close game which will end level.

SECOND PREDICTION: HILO – LOW 

Two of the last four league encounters between these two sides have ended in draws, with neither of them exceeding two total goals. With that in mind, I will take a punt on a low-scoring outcome in this East German derby.

HEAD TO HEAD

These two will meet for the first time in the 2. Bundesliga. However, they have played each other four times in lower divisions, with Aue winning twice and drawing twice.

Arminia Bielefeld - Dynamo Dresden

Goals likely to flow as Dresden clinch away win against Arminia

TEAM NEWS

Bielefeld could be without midfielder Nils Quaschner, who is still recovering from a knee injury.

Dresden coach Uwe Neuhaus have to replace the injured Tim Boss, Soren Gonther and Florian Ballas. Captain Marco Hartmann also succumbed to injury against Duisburg on Monday and he is out with a pulled muscle for this encounter against Bielefeld.

Bielefeld

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Nils Quaschner (knee)

Dresden

Suspended: 

Doubtful: None

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

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: AWAY WIN

Bielefeld claimed a deserved 1-1 draw in last weekend’s standout match against Heidenheim, in which they came from behind. Although they didn’t manage to start the campaign with a win they were happy with the point. However, Heidenheim, who finished only two points above the drop zone last term, aren't exactly firm favourites when it comes to promotion and it will be hard for Bielefeld to top their fourth place finish from last season. A spot in the first half of the table should be possible, but the team will have to continue in the same vein as last season at home when they closed off the campaign with three wins and two draws in front of their own crowd.

Dresden kicked the new campaign off with a 1-0 home win over Duisburg last Monday. The team have the potential to do better than their 14^thplace finish last season, but there are certain areas they will need to improve as well. They should keep an eye on controlling the game more and be more clinical in front of goal. However, the win will give them an additional boost for the upcoming matches. They were the sixth best away team last season and ended the campaign with one win and two draws on the road.

Dresden have won both of their last two meetings with Bielefeld at Schuco Arena and I believe they will gain the victory here again. 

SECOND PREDICTION: HILO – HIGH 

When these two sides meet at Schuco-Arena there always tend to be plenty of goals, with the last four encounters averaging 3.75 total goals. I think we will see another high-scoring outcome.

HEAD TO HEAD

Dresden have a good record against Bielefeld at Schuco-Area in the 2. Bundesliga, having won twice and drawn one of the last three encounters. Their last meeting back in February ended in a 3-2 win for Dynamo.

MSV Duisburg - VfL Bochum

Draw seems likely between these two

TEAM NEWS

Duisburg have no fresh injury or suspension worries, meaning coach Iliya Gruev can choose from a very good squad against Bochum.

Bochum's Jannik Bandowski and Thomas Eisfeld are working on their comebacks and are unavailable. 

Duisburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: None

Bochum

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Jannik Bandowski (knee), Thomas Eisfeld (unspecified)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: DRAW

Although Duisburg struggled in their first away game of the campaign, losing at Dresden, they produced a good performance. They had over 57% ball possession and 11 attempts on goal, but like last year, they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat away against the same opponents in their opener. Nevertheless, Iliya Gruev can be very proud of his team and if they can build on that performance they won't have to wait for a win for long. After last season’s defeat to Dresden they also hosted Bochum and were able to claim a 1-1 draw. 

Bochum were defeated 2-0 at home by Cologne last Saturday after Maxim Leitsch scored an own goal and the visitors netted in the middle of the second half. Robin Dutt’s side desperately need to improve their attack if they want to avoid drawing a blank as frequently as last season. In fact last term, they failed to score in 11 of their 34 matches while they were also the lowest scorers by far in the top half of the table, with only 37 goals. 

Both teams lost their opening game, but the two of them do have squads of good quality. This could be a very close fight and both side are likely to be happy with a draw – the same result as in their last three league encounters at Schauinslandreisen Arena. Take a punt on a draw.

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST HALF HAD – DRAW

Two of the last three meetings between these two sides at Schauinslandreisen Arena have been level at half time. I expect an even match here with only a small amount of attempts on goal in the first half and predict a draw after 45 minutes.

HEAD TO HEAD

Duisburg have not lost against Bochum on home soil for nearly eight years. However, since then, they have hosted Bochum only three times in league action, holding them to a draw on each occasion. Overall, the teams have an even record at Schauinslandreisen Arena, with seven wins each and 11 draws.