2. Bundesliga preview: 1. FC Kaiserslautern vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf
| Head coach of Düsseldorf, Markus Anfang | Photo by Selim Sudheimer/Getty Images |
Kaiserslautern’s campaign has long felt destined for a mid-table finish, and that is exactly where they find themselves heading into the weekend. Never truly dragged into a relegation battle but equally unable to mount a sustained push for promotion, Torsten Lieberknecht’s side sit 7th, 11 points adrift of the top three.
Any early-season optimism has gradually faded, largely due to their inability to string together consistent results. That inconsistency was evident once again before the international break, as they slipped to a disappointing 3-0 defeat away to Nürnberg. The Red Devils were on the back foot almost immediately, conceding inside two minutes, and never looked capable of mounting a response as Miroslav Klose’s side eased to victory with two further second-half goals.
Fortuna Düsseldorf, by contrast, would welcome the relative comfort of mid-table security. Markus Anfang’s side remain firmly embroiled in the relegation battle, sitting just three points above the playoff spot with plenty still on the line.
While results had improved after the turn of the year, back-to-back defeats have halted that progress and renewed the pressure. Their most recent outing was particularly alarming, as they were beaten 5-2 at home by Hertha BSC. Despite taking an early lead inside four minutes, Fortuna quickly lost control, conceding four times in a chaotic first half that effectively decided the contest before the interval.
The reverse fixture in November ended in a 1-1 draw at the Merkur Spiel-Arena, with Shinta Appelkamp’s late strike rescuing a point for Düsseldorf. Fortuna’s last win over Kaiserslautern came in 2024 - coincidentally also their most recent victory at the Betzenberg. Interestingly, the two managers are evenly matched historically, each recording two wins from their seven meetings, alongside three draws.
Team news
1. FC Kaiserslautern: Ivan Prtajin looks to be the only absentee for the home side.
Fortuna Düsseldorf: Valgeir Lunddal, Tim Rossmann, Kilian Sauck, Hamza Anhari and Kenneth Schmidt are set to miss out.
Predicted lineups
1. FC Kaiserslautern (3-4-2-1): Krahl (GK) - Sirch, Gyamfi, Kim - Joly, Kunze, Şahin, Haas - Skyttä, Ritter - Berisha
Fortuna Düsseldorf (3-3-2-2): Kastenmeier (GK) - Oberdorf, Egouli, Suso - Heyer, Tanaka, Lunddal - El Azzouzi, Muslija - Appelkamp, Itten
