The German second division kicks off this Friday evening at the Fritz-Walter-Stadion as Kaiserslautern host Hannover. The away side will be hoping for a win as they were relegated last season from the Bundesliga. Kaiserslautern will seek to win after their 5-2 drubbing at the hands of St Paul recently.
Newcastle United begin their quest in the English Championship this Friday as they travel to Craven Cottage to battle against Fulham. Historically, Newcastle have an upper hand, however the home side will be hoping to take advantage of playing in their background.
For more info on this and other matches in the soccer 6 pools, go to the Soccer 6 website HERE
Kaiserslautern v Hannover
(German II Bundesliga)
League rankings: Kaiserslautern 10th (II Bundesliga) Hannover 18th (Bundesliga) – 2015/16
Useful facts: The II Bundesliga kicks off this weekend with one of last season's clubs relegated from the Bundesliga, Hannover, looking to kick off a campaign to take themselves back up to the top flight of German football. They come up against established Bundesliga II side, Kaiserslautern, and will be happy to see that they have dominated the game in recent history with four wins from six previous encounters. Hannover have won only one of their three most recent matches, but will be glad to see that Kaiserslautern are coming off a 5-2 loss to St. Pauli.
Shaun Bartlett: Hannover
Fulham v Newcastle
(English Championship)
League rankings: Fulham 20th (Championship) Newcastle 18th (Premier League) – 2015/16
Useful facts: Raphael Benitez's club will undoubtedly be depressed to see themselves back in the Championship, but will hope to dominate the league in the same way they did in 2010, where they won it with over 100 points. First up is a familiar rival in Fulham, who have fallen from grace and look like they are more likely to get relegated than promoted. However, the London club can look back on their historical record with a small amount of encouragement, knowing that both sides are evenly matched with three victories each from their last six meetings.
Shaun Bartlett: Newcastle
