Two teams who are both close to relegation will face each other in what could prove to be a very important game in their respective quests for league survival.
Hosts Karlsruher are second-bottom, two points away from safety and three points above Dynamo Dresden at the foot of the table, although the side from the east of Germany have a game in hand. Karlsruher had a positive restart to the 2. Bundesliga, however, 2-0 victors over SV Darmstadt last weekend.
Bochum's position is slightly more secure than Karlsruher, with the NRW-based side in twelfth place on 31 points. In a special all-black kit, Bochum had a victorious restart after the COVID-19 pandemic. At home to high-flying Heidenheim, Thomas Reis' side punished their opponents for defensive weaknesses and were 3-0 victors.
Team news
Kristoph Kobald and Anis-Ben Hatira will both be unavailable to play on Sunday for Karlsruher as they are suspended. Kyoung-Rok Choi, Babacar Gueye and Burak Çamoğlu all have injuries and will also not feature.
Saulo Decarli, Danny Blum and Ulrich Bapoh will all not be able to play for Bochum due to injury.
Predicted lineups
Karlsruher SC: Uphoff; Thiede, Gordon, Pisot, Rossbach; Gondorf, Frode; Stiefler, Wanitzek, Grozurek; Hofmann
VfL Bochum: Lorenzen; Gamboa, Lampropoulos, Leitsch, Soares; Losilla, Tesche; Osei-Tutu, Zulj, Zoller; Ganvoula
Ones to watch
Philipp Hofmann will be Karlsruher's main outlet in front of the goal for Sunday's game. The centre-forward who plays in front of three who provide the ball to him has netted eleven times this season, assisting four, and was on the scoresheet in the club's last game at home to SV Darmstadt 98.
Similarly to the home side, Bochum's main man to watch is striker Silvere Ganvoula. He scored the third goal in their previous match against fourth-placed Heidenheim and has netted twelve across the entire campaign whilst assisting six others.
Match prediction
Karlsruher SC 1-3 VfL Bochum
Both at the bottom end of the table, Bochum look more likely to win the game than the hosts, having been victorious against strong opposition last weekend and looking positive before the COVID-19 break.
This season, Bochum have scored two or more in over half of their games and their attacking football could set them apart on Sunday. On seven separate occasions this season, Bochum have scored three, although their defensive form has not been as good as that going forwards which may see them fail to keep a clean sheet.
Before their win last weekend, Karlsruher had only won a single match in their previous five. Although they were good last weekend, Bochum look likely victors.