Borussia Monchengladbach will hope to build on their winning momentum by beating visitors Karlsruher SC in the DFB-Pokal's second round on Tuesday at Borussia Park.

Having emerged as 5-0 victors in the first round against Schott Mainz in August, Gladbach will believe that they can get the better of their 2. Bundesliga opponents.

Match preview

The hosts managed to beat Stuttgart 3-2 in the Bundesliga on Friday, coming back from a fifth-minute deficit to lead 3-1 by the 66th minute, though they are still last in 18th with just three points.

Gladbach's victory ended a streak of six consecutive defeats, and head coach Alexander Blessin will know the importance of maintaining winning momentum ahead of a difficult festive period.

The manager has only been in charge of three games having taken over from Eugen Polanski, and his side have conceded six goals and scored just five times so far during his tenure.

Die Fohlen have also lost all three of their home matches this term, losing by an aggregate score of 10-7, but it should be noted that two of those results were narrow 4-3 defeats.

The hosts exited the second round of the DFB-Pokal in four of their last eight entries into the competition, and in those eight cup campaigns, they were eliminated by lower-league opposition three times.

Karlsruher come into their next clash having suffered a damaging 6-1 defeat against Magdeburg in the 2. Bundesliga on Saturday, with the result leaving them second last in 17th with just eight points.

The visitors have now lost five of their last seven matches, a period in which they won just once, and it would not be surprising is boss Maximilian Senft was under pressure.

In those seven fixtures, KSC failed to find the back of the net on three occasions, while they conceded at least two goals five times.

A success for Karlsruher would not only end a winless streak of four games against Gladbach (W0, D1, L3), but it would also be their first triumph against their hosts since the turn of the century.

Senft's side beat Preussen Munster 2-1 away from home in the first round of the DFB-Pokal in late August, though they have since drawn one and been beaten in two of three matches on the road.

Borussia Monchengladbach DFB-Pokal form:

Borussia Monchengladbach form (all competitions):

Karlsruher SC DFB-Pokal form:

Karlsruher SC form (all competitions):

Team News

Gladbach have an extensive potential list of absentees for midweek, especially in defence, where Jan Leszczynski (meniscus) is sidelined, while fellow centre-backs Ko Itakura (muscle) and Kevin Diks (personal reasons) are doubts.

Likewise, the readiness of wing-back options Jens Castrop and Joe Scally is in question given the duo are dealing with respective shoulder and thigh injuries, so Daiki Hashioka, Philipp Sander and Fabio Chiarodia could start in Blessin's back three, flanked by Yukhym Konoplya and Lukas Ullrich.

At the opposite end of the pitch, strikers Tim Kleindienst (muscle) and Isac Lidberg (hamstring), as well as right-winger Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn, are unavailable, with Franck Honorat (muscle) and Fritz Fleck (strain) doubts.

Should they remain absent, Shuto Machino will be on hand to lead the line on Tuesday, supported in attack by Hugo Bolin and Wael Mohya, and platformed by Zento Uno and Florian Neuhaus in the centre of the park, while midfielder Enzo Leopold continues rehabilitation from a cruciate ligament injury.

As for Karlsruher, they are missing centre-back Heliton, who has been dealing with physical discomfort, as well as striker Moritz Broschinski, who suffered an ankle injury.

With that in mind, Shio Fukuda and Noel Eichinger may operate in a partnership up top, with Christoph Kobald, Marcel Franke and  Sandro Tremoulet protecting goalkeeper Hans Christian Bernat between the posts.

Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:

Nicolas; Hashioka, Sander; Chiarodia; Konoplya, Uno, Neuhaus, Ullrich; Bolin, Mohya; Machino

Karlsruher SC possible starting lineup:

Bernat; Kobald, Franke, Tremoulet; Jung, Wiethaup, Vaananen, Bergh; Wanitzek; Fukuda, Eichinger

We say: Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 Karlsruher SC

Karlsruher could take advantage of a vulnerable Gladbach side, but they have themselves struggled considerably this term.

While both teams may encounter difficulties, the visitors have not shown that they have enough resilience at the back to keep their opponents quiet.

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