Holstein Kiel – Paderborn

2nd Bundesliga Round 5
Kiel, September 2, 13:00 CET

Holstein Kiel will have a real test of strength and quality on their home field, against Paderborn in Round 5 of the 2nd Bundesliga.
The team from the north of Germany has three triumphs in the previous four rounds, in front of their fans they will have a chance to position themselves in the fight for the top of the table of the second tier of the German championship.
Paderborn is an ideal opponent at this moment, this team was defeated by Kaiserslautern 2:1 at home in the previous round. It is expected that Holstein Kiel and Paderborn will play openly and offensively from the beginning in Saturday's duel, and that in such a game the home team will have an obvious advantage.
In the previous round, Holstein Kiel beat the famous Schalke away 2:0. Coach Marcel Rapp's team is playing bravely, scoring two goals in each of the last four games. These are exactly all the duels that the Kiel team played during August. This team also played exceptionally during the preparations in July, with four triumphs and only one defeat against the excellent Hannover, which is a team from the top six in the elite Bundesliga.
It is clear that the club that was the German champion once (as far back as 1912) is targeting placement in the elite Bundesliga for the first time in six decades. And they have quality: Austrian striker Pichler is extremely reliable, last week against Schalke his goal was for the advantage. His excellent support is the Japanese forward Machino, an extremely versatile, dedicated and technically excellent player. The quality of players in the middle of the field, like captain Sander, guarantees that Holstein Kiel has a clear game plan and system, the strength and quality to handle such matches on their home field.
Paderborn was particularly disappointing in a 5:0 defeat to Greuther Furth at the end of July, as well as in a 1:1 draw against Osnabruck. The defeat against Kaiserslautern last week could have been more convincing than 2:1. The team has conceded nine goals in the opening four rounds of the 2nd Bundesliga, they have obvious problems in defense and are especially uncertain away from home.
In February, these two teams drew 1:1 in Kiel, while Paderborn won 7:2 at home in August last year. Now one gets the impression that the quality of team play, but also of individuals, is on the side of Holstein Kiel, a team that is continuously improving and that deserved three victories in August. This match is just an opportunity for the club from the German state of Schleswig-Holstein to continue a series of good results - but also to continue with efficient editions, with more than a goal in the visitors' net.