GERMAN FOOTBALL .........

.... returns after a 5 week break and we have 3 interesting fixtures, in Bundesliga 2 tonight.

After promotion last year, Carl Zeiss Jena went unbeaten in their opening five starts and looked set for a comfortable season. Those thoughts have long since gone, along with their form and they find themselves in the relegation zone.

CZJ are determined to preserve their status and have made 5 new signings, including almost an entire new defense. This was sorely needed as they have conceded 33 goals, easily the division's highest total.

Visitors, Kickers Offenbach, would have been happy to play on through the break, winning their last 4 and scoring 10 goals.

I think CZJ will come good, but it may take time for the new players to gel. We can expect goals tonight and it is a little surprising that the "line" has been set as low as "2".

The host's matches are averaging 3.0 goals and Kickers games , 3.125 on the road. "Over" for me.

Kaiserslautern are determined to get promotion and have significantly strengthened, an already strong squad in the transfer window, signing several players, considerably above the normal Bundesliga 2 level.

A win tonight will take them into the top 3, at least for a couple of days. They meet league leaders Karlsruher next and will be desperate for the 3 points tonight at Essen, who look relegation bound.

FCK have lost just once in 10 starts before the break, coach, Wolfgang Wolf, said his team are very well prepared and ready for a successful year, with the level ball option, they look something to bet on.

Finally, Unterhaching are hovering just above the drop zone and face a very difficult trip to Duisburg next week. They showed their potential last month with a 5-1 win over promotion chasing 1860, look too good to be involved in the relegation dogfight and can pick up maximum points from an Aue team, missing 3 key players.

Coach, Herbert Deutinger, is very pleased with his teams preparation, adding that, they had impressed in training and were targeting the vital win tonight. I favour the home team.

The weather in Germany has been bad, as in most of Western Europe, but the high winds are set to drop later today and should not be too much of a worry come kick off time.

4 points CZJ-Offenbach over 2 goals asian line 1.73

4 points Kaiserslautern level ball asian line 1.71

3 points Unterhaching -1/4 ball asian line 1.95

Good Luck.