1. FC Kaiserslautern can still quietly hope for promotion after two wins in a row. However, the Red Devils will have to do without their captain Marlon Ritter against SC Paderborn.
It was the 65th minute of FCK’s 3-2 win at Preußen Münster when Rico Preißinger cleared Lautern’s Paul Joly in midfield and picked up the logical yellow card. Marlon Ritter made the scene so infuriating that he stormed towards referee Patrick Schwengers gesticulating wildly to vent his anger.
The FCK captain turned away at the last moment, but by then it was already too late: Schwengers also warned Ritter, who will miss the home game against his former club SC Paderborn (Saturday from 1 p.m. in the live ticker and audio stream on sportschau.de) after the fifth yellow card.
Ritter, who scored a brace in Münster and played a strong game, expressed his lack of understanding of the warning after the game. As a captain you have to be allowed to “go over” to the referee sometimes. Now he wasn’t walking so much as sprinting, but the scene made it clear that the fire is still burning at FCK and that promotion is by no means over.
Hanslik as a knight replacement against Paderborn?
Immediately after his warning, Ritter was taken off the field by FCK coach Torsten Lieberknecht, continued to complain eagerly, argued with the fourth official and then stomped into the dressing room. Kenny Redondo and Daniel Hanslik, among others, came into play. Both will also be the first contenders to replace Ritter at the attacking half position.
Hanslik should have a slightly better chance of being in the starting line-up, while Redondo, who has been injured for a long time, is still building up his form. It is practically certain that Naatan Skyttä and Winter newcomer Norman Bassette will occupy the other two positions on offense.
Emreli returns improved
While Skyttä has already impressed throughout the season, Bassette also seems to have arrived at the club after his debut goal for FCK. In any case, the Belgian impresses with his unconditional commitment and thus the basic Betze virtue. In Münster, Bassette finally rewarded himself with the header goal to make it 3-1.
Another attacker, Mahir Emreli, has also returned. The Azerbaijani was out for months and was sent back onto the field for the first time in the final phase in Münster. Coach Lieberknecht had already confirmed before the game that the 28-year-old appeared more relaxed than in the period before his injury, when the summer newcomer only played a minor role in sport.
FCK offensive takes place
Bassette scores, Skyttä spins, Redondo and Emreli return, plus the veteran Hanslik as an offensive all-purpose weapon: All of this fuels the hope that FCK can survive against Paderborn even without captain Ritter and can compensate for the long-term loss of striker Ivan Prtajin (torn Achilles tendon) in the medium to long term.
The FCK is now facing a groundbreaking encounter against East Westphalia. If they win, the Palatinate team will close to within three points of their competitors. The Red Devils want to concentrate on themselves. “We have to look after ourselves,” said Ritter after the final whistle in Münster. If there is a defeat, the dreams of promotion are likely to be over for this season. The people of Palatinate will do everything in their power to prevent this. Because the FCK is still burning – even without captain Ritter.
