Greuther Fürth will host 1. FC Kaiserslautern at the Sportpark Ronhof on Wednesday evening for their DFB-Pokal second-round match.
Greuther Fürth enters the match in poor form, having recorded only one win in their last six games. They have struggled defensively, conceding a league-high 28 goals in ten matches. Their latest match resulted in a heavy 1-4 defeat against Karlsruher SC. Fürth advanced to the second round of the Pokal after defeating Regionalliga Nord side BW Lohne 2-0, with goals from Mathias Olesen and Noah König, the latter scoring his first for the club.
Coach Thomas Kleine emphasized the need for improved defensive play and mental resilience, stating, “The approach must be to deal with conceded goals better - that's part of football. The tenor was to resolve more situations and tackle better.” Historically, Fürth has struggled in the Pokal, having progressed beyond the second round only twice in the last ten years, with their best run being a semi-final appearance in the 2011/12 season.
In terms of team news, Fürth will be without Sacha Bansé, Brynjar Ingi Bjarnason, Nils Körber, and Timo Schlieck.
On the other hand, Kaiserslautern arrives in good form, having won four of their last six matches and currently sitting fifth in the 2. Bundesliga, just three points off promotion playoff spots. Their last match ended in a 1-1 draw against Nürnberg. Kaiserslautern easily secured their spot in the second round with a dominant 0-7 victory over Oberliga side RSV Eintracht.
Despite Fürth’s recent difficulties, Kaiserslautern's coach Torsten Lieberknecht anticipates a competitive match, saying, “I don't judge any opponent by their standings. I think it will be very emotional tomorrow. We'll try to offer a classic cup battle.” Kaiserslautern has a notable history in the Pokal, with two titles to their name, the last being during the 1995/96 season, and they reached the final in the 2023/24 season.
Team news for Kaiserslautern includes the unavailability of Simon Asta, Ivan Prtajin, Mahir Emreli, Kenny Prince Redondo, and Ji-Soo Kim.
The last meeting between these teams in the DFB-Pokal was during the 2015/16 season, where Kaiserslautern won 2-0. In their last five encounters, both teams have won two matches each, though Kaiserslautern claimed the latest fixture with a convincing 3-0 win at Sportpark Ronhof in September.
Predicted lineups for the match are as follows:
Greuther Fürth (4-2-3-1): Prüfrock (GK) - Reich, Münz, Itter, Abrangao - John, Olesen - Klaus, Hrgota, Keller - Futkeu
1. FC Kaiserslautern (3-4-2-1): Krahl (GK) - Gyamfi, Sirch, Robinson - Joly, Kunze, Sahin, Haas - Ritter, Skyttä - Hanslik
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