Kaiserslautern manager Marco Kurz will know that he has nothing to lose this season with Die roten Teufel. While Kaiserslautern did manage to win the 2. Bundesliga last season, the step up to Germany’s top division may be too big of an ask for Kurz and his side.
Key Players
Club captain Srdan Lakic will lead the line for Kaiserslautern this season against the Bundesliga’s best sides. Lakic’s aerial ability will be his main threat going forward, but he is also adept at playing with his back to goal and holding up play while supporting players advance from deeper positions. Lakic will look to guide the club to safety this season, and he will certainly be taking the club’s Bundesliga run personally.
Newcomers
Jan Simunek has joined the club from Wolfsburg this summer after being deemed surplus to requirements by Die Wolfe manager Steve McClaren. Despite that, Simunek is a very handy defender and he will be a vital member of Kaiserslautern’s first-team this season. Simunek is an established Bundesliga center-half and his experience and quality will be irreplaceable for Kaiserslautern. This is a great buy for Die roten Teufel.
Napoli’s Erwin Hoffer has joined Kaiserslautern on loan for the season after Napoli splashed the cash on Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani. Hoffer, who has been a part of the Austrian national team since 2007, will bring a real bit of pace to Kaiserslautern’s front line. We’ll most likely see him partner up with Lakic up top for Die roten Teufel, and he will look to play off of the club captain and pounce on chances and opposition errors.
Expectations
While Kaiserslautern are definitely one of the favourites to go back down to 2. Bundesliga, they will have confidence that they can compete with the likes of St. Pauli, Koln, Hannover, Freiburg and Nurnberg and get the better of them when they have to. It certainly will be a very competitive relegation dogfight this season.
