Despite multiple chances, Eintracht Braunschweig only had Jan Hochscheidt's goal for their efforts - meaning Antonio-Mirko Colak's strike was enough to earn Kaiserslautern a point.
Dominant Lions go in ahead at the break
The game struggled for momentum and rhythm in the opening stages, though both sides had good chances to score early on. Kaiserslautern's came through a unlikely source, as Phil Ofosu-Ayeh and Rafal Gikiewicz contrived to give away an indirect free-kick; Markus Karl's effort was well-blocked, however. The hosts had an excellent opportunity of their own when Gerrit Holtmann cut the ball back to Orhan Ademi from the by-line, but the Swiss striker couldn't apply the necessary finish.
It continued to be disjointed, but the chances kept coming. The teams exchanged attacking dominance, but it was Braunschweig who opened the scoring. Ofosu-Ayeh made up for his earlier mistake by picking out a perfect cross for Jan Hochscheidt, though the defender was afforded far too much space in which to do so. Hochscheidt was also unmarked in the area, leaving him free to head home and salute his wife and newborn child.
Braunschweig should have been further ahead before the break, though Nik Omladic shot wide of the post after Hochscheidt's clever pass. Salim Khelifi should have added to his impressive Hinrunde goalscoring tally but saw his shot clawed off the line by Daniel Halfar, and then Saulo Decarli hit the post in the final first-half minute. The Red Devils know they were lucky to still be in the game.
Colak collects a point for Kaiserslautern
Despite the poor first-half showing, Konrad Fünfstuck opted to keep the same eleven that started the game on the pitch. He was justified to do so, as some good play between Ruben Jenssen and Robert Pich saw the latter fire just past the upright. Marcel Gaus was also lively early on but a Jenssen tackle on Ademi enraged the hosts, though Martin Thomsen remained unmoved.
Both sides then made changes in order to freshen up the game, as the half drew on towards the midway point. Manfred Osei Kwadwo and Maurice Deville were brought on for the visitors, while Antonio-Mirko Colak followed not long after. Adam Matuschyk replaced goalscorer Hochscheidt, with Braunschweig looking to consolidate their lead.
There was only one major event of note in the remainder of the game, and it saw Colak grab an equaliser for Kaiserslautern. A great ball from Jean Zimmer caught the Braunschweig defence cold, leaving the on-loan forward free to steal in at the near post and finish with aplomb. The game became heated after that, and neither team could grab a late winner. The Lions will be scratching their heads as to how they couldn't claim three points, while the Red Devils were pleased as punch to earn a point.