As Emiliano Insua fired in the perfectly weighted cross for Simon Terrode in the home game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern, for the striker to head home the 1-0, both players achieved something of a rarity. The combination of cross by Insua and goal by Terodde has been seen more than once this season, but the fact that they combined successfully on the Betzenberg is notable, as the ‘Roten Teufel’ rarely concede on their own turf.
FCK have conceded just five goals at home this season – less than any other side in the league! Throughout the campaign, Kaiserslautern have impressed with their defensive qualities. The back-line, with former VfB reserve Phillipp Mwene (see picture), has been breached just 17 times in 21 matches – whilst boasting ten clean-sheets. The fact that the 'Pfälzer' are not far higher up the table is undoubtedly due to the fact that they have scored just 16 goals themselves thus far. The only team to have found the net les soften is troubled FC St. Pauli.
Recent home success
The team’s blockage would now appear to have been released, following FCK’s recent 3-0 home win against SV Sandhausen. And the club have been in generally good form. Kaiserslautern have secured seven points from the last three games – and that following a difficult winter, which included a personnel change on the coaches bench. Tayfun Korkut somewhat surprisingly threw in the towel in December and was replaced by Norbert Meier. The 58 year old prepared the team for the approaching second half of the season and would appear to have hit the right note. The four-time German champions are finally beginning to cast their glances back toward the upper regions of the table in their fifth ‘2. Bundesliga’ campaign. Emiliano Insua, Simon Terodde & Co. will be looking to put an end to the form of FCK this Sunday at 13:30 CET. Successful VfB combinations have not been a rarity this season at the Mercedes-Benz Arena – and so may that continue.