2. Bundesliga Sunday Konferenz Preview: Team news and predicted lineups

Three Sunday afternoon fixtures will conclude matchday 12 action in 2. Bundesliga.

League leaders SC Paderborn will play away from home, while Fortuna Düsseldorf and Eintracht Braunschweig hope to get out of the danger zone before the third international break of the season.

Magdeburg vs. Paderborn

Paderborn will face one of their favorite opponents on Sunday afternoon. The current league leaders are unbeaten in the last nine games against Magdeburg, which started when the two teams were in 3. Liga in the 2017/18 season.

Although only two of them ended with a win for Paderborn in that streak, Ralf Kettemann’s side is currently on a club record seven-game winning run. On the contrary, Magdeburg have only won once since the second matchday.

Team News

However, that win came in their last home game against Preußen Münster. The hosts will be without Baris Atik as he saw his fifth yellow card of the season in the defeat to Bochum. Center-backs Calvin Brackelmann and Marcel Hoffmeier are the only absentees for the visitors.

Predicted Lineups

Magdeburg: Reimann ©; Hoti, Mathisen, Geschwill; Hercher, Michel, Ulrich, Musonda; Ghrieb, Nollenberger; Breunig

Paderborn: Seimen; Hansen, Götze ©, Scheller; Curda, Castaneda, Baur, Obermair; Bilbija, Tigges, Klaas

Holstein Kiel vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf

Markus Anfang finally avoided defeat as Fortuna Düsseldorf coach when his team earned a point against one of his former clubs, Kaiserslautern. Düsseldorf started the season with high promise, but they’re now clearly fighting relegation.

Similarly, Holstein Kiel are not living up to the pre-season expectations. Marcel Rapp’s side is in danger of successive relegations as they’re winless in the last five league games. Their only home win of the season came in September against Karlsruhe.

Team News

Kiel’s captain, Steven Skrzybski, could return to the side for the game against his former club after missing the last couple of matches. Similarly, Christian Rasmussen will hope to return to Düsseldorf’s squad after missing a game due to injury for the first time since joining the club from Ajax.

Predicted Lineups

Kiel: Krumrey; Zec, Johansson, Komenda; Rosenboom, Davidsen, Knudsen, Tolkin; Bernhardsson ©, Kapralik; Müller

Düsseldorf: Kastenmeier ©; Heyer, Oberdorf, Daland, Schmidt; Breithaupt, El Azzouzi; Rasmussen, Muslija, Iyoha; Celar

Eintracht Braunschweig vs. VfL Bochum

The two teams only have 10 points each after the first 11 rounds. However, that’s because of a false start for Bochum. Uwe Rösler improved the form of the Blues as they collected seven points from the last three matches.

Braunschweig also managed to beat Düsseldorf in that timeframe, but that was the only game they earned points from seven matches. Heiner Backhaus’ side finished with ten men in their defeats to Hannover and Nürnberg in the past couple of weekends.

Team News

Thus, Erencan Yardımcı and Kevin Ehlers will be absent because of suspensions. Mehmet Aydin was also substituted early due to injury in the game against Nürnberg. Bochum’s captain, Matus Bero, is suspended for this one after picking up a fifth yellow card against Magdeburg in the 95th minute.

Predicted Lineups

Braunschweig: Hoffmann; Köhler ©, Breunig, Di Michele Sanchez; Kaufmann, Flick, Marie, Tempelmann, Bell Bell; Conte, Szabo

Bochum: Horn ©; Morgalla, Loosli, Strompf, Wittek;  Lenz, Pannewig; Alfa-Ruprecht; Wätjen, Holtmann; Onyeka