Second-tier side Karlsruher SC will have to overcome Bundesliga team Augsburg on Wednesday if they are to progress to the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal when they host them at BBBank Wildpark.
Karlsruher SC are fifth in the 2. Bundesliga with 23 points from 14 league games and beat Kickers Offenbach 2-0 in the last round of the DFB-Pokal on October 29, whereas their opposition defeated Schalke 04 3-0 on the same date in the previous round and are sixth last in the Bundesliga with 15 points after 12 matches.
Match preview
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The home team were deserving winners against fourth-tier club Kickers Offenbach when considering the overall quality of their opportunities, but it should be noted that both sides statistically only produced one big chance each.
Karlsruher SC are level on points with second-placed Hamburger SV, who occupy the 2. Bundesliga's final automatic promotion spot, though just three points separates Hamburger and 11th-placed Darmstadt.
Boss Christian Eichner's side have netted 27 times and conceded on 25 occasions in the league, and of the 18 teams in the second tier, these are the division's joint fourth-best offensive and joint 13th-best defensive records.
KSC are in poor form given they have lost three, drawn one and won just one of their five most recent games, and these results include a 3-1 defeat against Hamburger in the 2. Bundesliga on Sunday.
The hosts' record at home is also poor considering they have failed to win any of their last four outings at BBBank Wildpark, although they did triumph in the prior three home matches.
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Meanwhile, Augsburg come into the clash having beaten last-placed VfL Bochum 1-0 on Saturday, a match in which they produced nearly two xG, registered 16 shots and created three big chances.
Manager Jess Thorup said that he has extensively watched Wednesday's opponents, saying: "Karlsruhe are a very well-organised team and are dangerous from both crosses and set-plays."
Thorup's side are the Bundesliga's 14th highest goalscorers having netted just 14 times, and they are the league's 13th best defensive club having conceded on 23 occasions.
To their credit, Augsburg have been resilient in recent weeks, with the team winning three, drawing two and losing just one of their last six fixtures.
However, the visitors have failed to achieve victory in any of their past five away outings and have in fact been defeated in eight of their last 14 matches.
Team News
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Karlsruher will not be able to field centre-backs Christoph Kobald and Robin Bormuth, as well as left-back Lasse Gunther.
Sebastian Jung, Marcel Franke, Marcel Beifus and David Herold are candidates to play in front of goalkeeper Max Weiss.
Midfielder Efe-Kaan Sihlaroglu is not due to return until April 2025 as a result of a cruciate ligament injury, so perhaps Nicolai Rapp and Robin Heusser will start in a double pivot.
Augsburg will be without defenders Dimitrios Giannoulis, Mads Valentin Pedersen, Reece Oxford and Robert Gumny.
Chrislain Matsima, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw and Keven Schlotterbeck can be expected to feature in a back three, alongside wing-backs Henri Koudossou and Marius Wolf.
Elsewhere, forward Fredrik Jensen is also unavailable, and this could mean that Throup selects a front two consisting of Phillip Tietz and Alexis Claude-Maurice.
Karlsruher SC possible starting lineup:
Weiss; Jung, Franke, Beifus, Herold; Burnic, Rapp, Heusser, Wanitzek; Pfeiffer, Zivzivadze
Augsburg possible starting lineup:
Dahmen; Matsima, Gouweleeuw, Schlotterbeck; Wolf, Onyeka, Jakic, Rexhbecaj, Koudossou; Tietz, Claude-Maurice
We say: Karlsruher SC 0-2 Augsburg
Given Augsburg's status as a Bundesliga club, it is reasonable to expect that there will be a gulf in quality on display this Wednesday against second-tier Karlsruher.
Additionally, the visitors are in good form and should be considered strong favourites to advance to the quarter-finals.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
