Arminia – Hansa Rostock

Hansa will score at least one point in a match against an equal opponent

Before last week's Second Bundesliga round, the density of the bottom half of the standings attracted the attention of football fans worldwide. At the time, the 18th-ranked team in the league was separated from the 9th team by just three points. In theory, from the middle of the standings it was possible to "jump" into the relegation zone in just one round. On Matchday 19, the group of teams was slightly stretched, but the opponents in this matchday, Arminia, and Hansa, are on the same positions. The club from Rostock are on 12th place with 21 points. The club from Bielefeld have one point less and one position lower. The bookmakers have identified the home side as the favourites to win, with a win priced at 2.20. Last season, Arminia played in the Bundesliga, where they finished in last season's runners-up spot and went directly to the second division. From the first rounds here, the team began to show apathy and unprepared for the new conditions. After being relegated from Germany's top flight, nobody had ever started in the Second Bundesliga with four defeats. To their credit, the Bielefeld-based club eventually levelled the situation and began to pick up points more or less steadily. After the league resumption, Arminia lost 1-2 to Zandhausen before successfully taking on Regensburg in the 85th and 91st minute, with the hosts scoring the decisive goals. Before the start of the season, Hansa were considered by bookmakers to be among the main candidates for relegation. However, the Mariners avoided a long losing streak, winning quite a lot, which allowed them not to be the division's outsider at the moment. The team from East Germany, on the one hand, unsuccessfully returned to the championship after a two-month break, losing both games. On the other hand, their opponents were Heidenheim and Hamburg, who are in the top three in the Second Bundesliga. "The Seasiders did not give the impression of a hopeless game, so even away against Arminia, the bookmakers give them a serious chance of picking up points. In the first round of the current season, Hansa beat Arminia on home soil 2-1, scoring the winning goal in the 85th minute. In the upcoming meeting, the Mariners have an opportunity to play comfortably in the second leg and pick up at least one point.