Friedhelm Funkel’s 1. FC Kaiserslautern receives a nasty slap

1. FC Kaiserslautern is also staggering towards relegation in the 2nd Bundesliga under old coach Friedhelm Funkel.

The former champions lost 4-0 (0-0) to Karlsruher SC in their second game under Funkel and could slip into a direct relegation spot on Sunday. On Funkel’s debut, he at least managed to win a point in Nuremberg.

Marvin Wanitzek (51st), Igor Matanovic (58th), Paul Nebel (81st) and Budu Siwziwadze (90th + 1) scored the goals for KSC, which is firmly in the middle of the table. It was Karlsruhe’s third away win of the season.

After a minute’s silence for the late former world champion Andreas Brehme, the encounter only slowly picked up speed. Funkel had prescribed a defensive basic order for the hosts. Karlsruhe dominated the game, but the guests didn’t have any great chances in the first half. Kaiserslautern also remained imprecise and harmless in the transition game.

After the change, the game picked up significantly. Just 25 seconds after the restart, Marlon Ritter missed the Red Devils’ lead, shortly afterwards Wanitzek made it better after a nice pass from Dzenis Burnic. Matanovic increased the score with his eighth goal of the season, and Nebel made the final decision.

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