Bochum vs Dresden

Two mid-tablers to cancel each other out

TEAM NEWS

Bochum can welcome Zlatko Dedic back to the team after a loan spell at this week’s opponents Dresden, while experienced midfielder Alexander Iashvili is also in line to make his debut after a summer transfer. They will take over goalscoring and creative duties respectively after the departures of Daniel Ginczek and Takashi Inui.

Elsewhere, Mirkan Aydin misses out with a broken leg, while midfielders Michael Delura and Fabian Patrick are both yet to recover from knee ligament injuries.

Dresden coach Ralf Loose effectively has a clean bill of health for this game, with only substitute goalkeeper Markus Scholz injured and unavailable.

The squad has been strengthened, particularly with the signing of experienced goalkeeper Florian Fromlowitz from Duisburg and attacking midfielder Idir Ouali. The latter will offset the loss of Dedic, who returns to Bochum. The new signings have been in impressive form during pre-season matches.

Bochum:
Suspended: None
Doubtful: None
Injured: Patrick Fabian (knee), Michael Delura (knee), Mirkan Aydin (broken leg)

Dresden:
Suspended: None
Doubtful: None
Injured: Markus Scholz (knock)

MATCH PREVIEW

Bochum have the luxury of bringing Zlatko Dedic into the team. He notched an impressive 14 goals for Dynamo last season and finished as the club’s leading scorer. He and Georgian midfielder Alexander Iashvili will share goalscoring responsibility for the club.

Bochum struggled on their own patch last term, winning just seven of 17 home games and, while that balance might improve this season, my money would be on a draw here.

Dresden have perhaps been in the best form of any team in the league in pre-season, with a 3-0 win and a 0-0 draw against English Premier League sides West Ham United and champions Manchester City respectively.

The loss of Dedic will be a blow to them as he led their goalscoring chart last term, meaning the onus is now on Mickael Pote to assume the role of senior striker and lead the line for the team.

The Saxon outfit took just 16 points from a possible 51 on the road last season, but the squad is confident after a great pre-season and I’m backing them to take a point from this one.

HEAD TO HEAD

Bochum have won five and drawn three of the sides’ last ten meetings, although Dresden did win both fixtures last season.