2. Bundesliga preview: VfL Bochum vs. Karlsruher SC
@horn_regan Preview, team news and predicted lineups as VfL Bochum welcome Karlsruher SC to the Vonovia Ruhrstadion on Sunday. Bundesliga table as the season progresses.
Bochum will be looking to make home advantage count, while Karlsruher SC travel to North Rhine-Westphalia hoping to come away with a positive result. VfL Bochum Bochum head into Sunday's encounter with renewed confidence after ending their difficult run of league form with a 2-1 victory away to Energie Cottbus last weekend.
Uwe Rösler's side had endured a five-game winless run in the league before travelling to Cottbus, but Christian Rasmussen's late winner secured three valuable points and lifted the club to 11th in the standings. The victory was particularly important given Bochum's struggles in front of goal this season.
Having scored just eight times in their opening ten league matches, they currently possess the lowest-scoring attack in the division. However, their recent cup victory over Mainz and the comeback success against Cottbus suggest that Rösler's team are beginning to find some momentum.
Rösler is nevertheless expecting a difficult afternoon against a Karlsruhe side whose intensity and attacking movement could cause problems. Speaking ahead of the fixture, the Bochum coach described Sunday's encounter as a potential 50-50 contest and warned that the visitors are one of the most intense teams in the division.
The German side will need to pay particular attention to Marvin Wanitzek, who Rösler identified as Karlsruhe's standout player, highlighting his ability to find space and influence matches through both open play and set-pieces. Karlsruher SC Karlsruher SC travel to Bochum looking to build on an encouraging 2-1 victory over 1.
FC Heidenheim, which brought some much-needed stability to their start under new head coach Maximilian Senft. The Baden-Württemberg outfit had endured a difficult spell before welcoming Heidenheim, having suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat away to Magdeburg immediately after an impressive 4-0 home victory against Darmstadt.
However, goals from Tim Civeja and Marvin Wanitzek secured a deserved victory over the recently-relegated side last weekend, with Wanitzek's superb free-kick proving decisive. Despite that result, consistency remains a significant concern for Senft.
Karlsruhe have collected 11 points from their opening ten league matches, leaving them level with Bochum, although their inferior goal difference places them two positions below Sunday's opponents. Their away form is another area requiring improvement, with the visitors yet to record an away victory in the league this season, collecting just two points from their four matches on the road.