Bundesliga Sandhausen v Ingolstadt Match preview

German Division 2 - - Match Time : 31/08/2014 19:30
Sandhausen vs Ingolstadt Livescore | Match Preview| Match Statistics
Spoils to be shared in Sandhausen

TEAM NEWS

The personnel situation in Sandhausen is steadily improving, with Simon Tuting and Kevin Kratz both battling to be fit in time for Sunday’s showdown, leaving Ranisav Jovanovic as the only long-term absentee for coach Alois Schwartz to contend with.
Schwartz rotated his side in two positions last weekend, dropping forward Aziz Bouhaddouz to the bench and in order to make use of a 4-2-3-1 formation - a system he is expected to stick with this weekend.
Ingolstadt coach Ralph Hasenhuttl made three changes to the side. Ramazan Ozcan, Lukas Hinterseer and Australian goalscorer Mathew Leckie came into the starting line-up in the victory over Furth on Sunday.
With a match-winning performance behind him - he scored one and made the other - Leckie is in no danger of being benched. However, Almog Cohen and Christian Eigler remain sidelined with injury, while midfielder Tamas Hajnal has left the club after terminating his contract ahead of schedule.

Sandhausen
Suspended: None
Doubtful: Tuting (thigh), Kratz (ankle)
Injured/Unavailable: Jovanovic (knee)
Ingolstadt
Suspended: None
Doubtful: None
Injured/Unavailable: Cohen (broken leg), Eigler (knee)
 
MATCH PREVIEW

Already in the bottom three, Sandhausen were left frustrated following their failure to add to their solitary point of the campaign so far after a last-minute Lasse Sobiech effort robbed them of a draw in the 2-1 loss away to St. Pauli.
Alois Schwartz’s side have thus far survived at this level by sitting deep and staying compact defensively, while looking to snatch victories with the odd goal on the break or from set pieces. They haven’t shown any defensive stability yet this season and will struggle to hit the target against an unbeaten Ingolstadt side.
Indeed, based on their early-season form (W1, D2), including last weekend’s emphatic 2-0 win over Furth, it appears the Bavarians are finally beginning to find their feet at this level.
Ingolstadt remain one of seven sides yet to suffer defeat in the league this season, but a lack of consistency was what held coach Ralph Hasenhuttl’s charges back in the previous campaign and it’s a problem I’m yet to be convinced has been solved in 2014/15. With Sandhausen still proving a tough nut to crack I’m backing a draw on Sunday.
 
HEAD TO HEAD

Both sides picked up 2-0 away wins when they met last season, but Sandhausen hold the edge overall in matches at this level having emerged unbeaten (W1, D1) against Ingolstadt in the 2012/13 campaign.