Kaiserslautern vs. Saint Pauli – German Bundesliga Preview
Fritz-Walter Stadion will see 12th placed Kaiserslautern host relegation-threatened Saint Pauli tonight. A win against Saint Pauli will guarantee Kaiserslautern Bundesliga status for another year. Midfielder http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Christian-c9045 Tiffert is keen on playing
in the Bundesliga for another season. The 29-year-old joined Kaiserslautern from MSV Duisburg last summer when the club won promotion. However, Tiffert maintains that he would have joined the club even if Kaiserslautern had not won promotion to the Bundesliga.
Now, after playing 30 matches in the Bundesliga for his new club, Tiffert admits that he does not want to go down a league. While talking to the media, he said, "I don't mean it in a bad way, but I don't want to go back to the second division,'' before adding
that Kaiserslautern does not belong to the lower league. A win at the Betzenberg is essential as it will secure the club’s second straight season in Bundesliga.
Inching closer towards the drop
This season has been a forgetful experience for Saint Pauli. Lying at the bottom of the table with just 29 points amassed, it would take more than just a miracle to for Saint Pauli the dreaded relegation. Adding more to the misery, the Hamburg-based club
have not won any of their last five outings – something that has been the biggest reason behind the club’s slump to 18th position in the last few weeks.
Furthermore, five points divide 15th placed Frankfurt and St Pauli, meaning even the most optimistic of fans wouldn’t be hoping for a revival in the fortunes of the club. The Pirates are getting closer and closer to Bundesliga 2 football for the
next season – it wouldn’t hurt to go down with a few wins in the last three games.
Team News
Kaiserslautern
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ivo-Ilicevic-c17402 and Florian d**k are sidelined through injuries but Adam Nemec has returned to the squad
Saint Pauli
Rouwen Hennings, Fabian Boll and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Thomas-Kessler-c34969 all are going to miss the trip to the south.
Previous Meeting
In the last game between the two sides, an own goal by Christian Tiffert in the third minute of the second half gave Saint Pauli a 1-0 win at the Millerntor Stadion. Though Kaiserslautern had most of the possession throughout the entire 90-minutes, the Red
Devils could not find a way past Saint Pauli goalkeeper Thomas Kessler. It may be a different story as Kessler is out of tonight’s clash due to an injury.
Top Scorers
Srdjan Lakic
The Croatian International, Srdjan Lakic, was in fine form last season as he scored 18 goals for the Red Devils. The 27-year-old has once again been one of the best players for Kaiserslautern this season, scoring 14 goals in just 27 appearances. Should the
former Hertha http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Berlin-c7536 hitman hit a purple patch tonight, he will surely give Saint Pauli defence a lot of problems at the back with his pace and tenacity.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Gerald-Asamoah-c14650
32-year-old Gerald Asamoah has been Pauli’s top scorer this season with just 6 goals but the former German International has played his part in saving Saint Pauli’s season, albeit in vain. Though, Asamoah has lost much of his pace, his experience of top-level
football should play a major role as Saint Pauli look to win all three remaining games of the season.
Prediction
For most Bundesliga followers, the result of this particular game is a no-brainer in Kaiserslautern’s favour. However, Saint Pauli are going to make life real hard for the Red Devils – something that relegation-threatened sides do in the final straight of
the season.
Predicted final Score: Kaiserslautern 1-1 Saint Pauli
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