Football-Bundesliga - Holstein Kiel loses Maxi-Test against 1. FC Kaiserslautern
Holstein Kiel suffered the first defeat in the third preparation game for the first season in the German Bundesliga. The promoted team lost to the second division club 1. FC Kaiserslautern in a closed-door match with a score of 0:1 (0:0). The goal for the Palatinates was scored by Almamy Toure right after a corner kick just before the final whistle.
"I'm not satisfied with the result, but I'm even less satisfied with my team's performance," said Kiel's trainer Marcel Rapp after the 45-minute match. He critically noted, "Our chances conversion needs to improve." New signing Armin Gigovic did not make an appearance. The midfielder with dual citizenship (two A-team games for Sweden and Bosnia-Herzegovina) was signed by the Russian Premier League club FK Rostov on Tuesday. In the previous season, Gigovic played on loan for the Danish champion FC Midtjylland. Gigovic will join the Kiel team during the nine-day training camp starting on Saturday in Seefeld, Austria. The first Bundesliga game in the club's history will be played by the "Storks" on August 24 against TSG Hoffenheim.
- Holstein Kiel's disappointment in their preparation for the Bundesliga season continued, as they fell to 1. FC Kaiserslautern in a test match, marking their first loss in three games.
- Hailing from Schleswig-Holstein, Holstein Kiel faced off against the German second division club in a closed-door game, ending with a 0-1 defeat, thanks to Almamy Toure's goal just before the final whistle.
- The imminent arrival of new signing Armin Gigovic, who has represented both Sweden and Bosnia-Herzegovina's national teams, was not enough to propel Holstein Kiel to victory, as he was unavailable due to his transfer to the Russian Premier League club FK Rostov.
- Despite the setback, Holstein Kiel will look to regain their form during a nine-day training camp in Seefeld, Austria, with Gigovic joining the squad ahead of their inaugural Bundesliga match against TSG Hoffenheim on August 24.
