David Abraham heads Hoffenheim in front shortly before half time
David Abraham heads Hoffenheim in front shortly before half time

Kaiserslautern Vs Hoffenheim LIVE!

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Kaiserslautern - Just when you thought the Bundesliga had served up more than its fair share of drama for one season, it goes and cranks up the stakes once more with a final flourish.

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1. FC Kaiserslautern host 1899 Hoffenheim in the promotion/relegation play-off second leg having lost the first bout 3-1 last week. bundesliga.com will be bringing you pre-match build-up and live updates throughout the encounter to keep you in the know.

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Line-ups:

Kaiserslautern: Sippel - Dick, Torrejon, Orban, Löwe - Borysiuk, Zellner - Drazan (Hoffer 55'), Baumjohann - Idrissou, Bunjaku (Weiser 64')

Hoffenheim: Casteels - Beck, Abraham (Süle 60'), Vestergaard, Thesker (Rudy 30') - Polanski, Weis - Salihovic, Johnson - Volland, Firmino (Schipplock 86')

LIVE coverage:

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FULL TIME! That concludes our coverage of the relegation play-offs, with Hoffenheim securing the final spot for the 2013/14 season.

You can read our full match report here.

FULL TIME! No late twists, no nail-biting end. 1899 Hoffenheim will once again play in the Bundesliga next season after beating FC Kaiserslautern 2-1 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate.

90' The 90 minutes are up and the fourth official has signalled that four minutes of additional time will be played.

86' There's still plenty of hustle and bustle in the middle of the pitch, but neither side has gone close to the opposition area in a while. The hardcore Lautern fans are admirably still belting out their undying support for their team, who have just lacked the necessary quality and invention over the two legs.

79' That goal has knocked the hosts for six and their belief seems to have disappeared. It's 5-2 on aggregate now, meaning they'll need a late frenzy to turn this one around.

74'GOAL! Another set-piece for Hoffenheim and another goal. Salihovic whips in a corner from the left and Jannik Vestergaard outmuscles his marker to head Hoffenheim 2-1 in front.

71' Kaiserslautern have the wind in their sails and are pushing hard for another goal by peppering their visitors' box with crosses from both flanks.

67' Almost immediately, Kaiserslautern have the ball in the back of the net again as Idrissou heads in from a free-kick, but it is ruled out for offside.

65'GOAL!Baumjohann smashes the ball into the net from distance to make the score 1-1 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate. The hosts only need two more two take the game to extra time.

64' Kaiserslautern coach brings on FC Bayern Munich loanee Mitchell Weiser to liven up his attack. Will the fresh-faced youngster breathe new life into their game?

58'Volland has the chance to hammer the final nail in the Red Devils' coffin and bears down on goal with only Sippel to beat. However, once again the custodian repels the effort to keep Kaiserslautern's increasingly slim hopes alive.

53' Kaiserslautern can't be faulted for effort. They're running their studs down to the bone, but it's all a bit too predictable up front and Hoffenheim can see what's coming a mile off. A new tactic is required and fast.

SECOND HALF! The hosts restart the action, but Hoffenheim have no intention of letting them get a foothold in the game and are immediately snapping at their heels once more.

HALF TIME! Hoffenheim now have a 4-1 aggregate lead, meaning Kaiserslautern face an all or nothing second half if they're to have any chance of playing in the Bundesliga next season.

HALF TIME! The goal was the last meaningful action of the first 45 minutes, giving the guests a not undeserved 1-0 lead.

44'GOAL! Lautern can't say it hadn't been coming. Another wicked free-kick from the left again causes havoc in the home defence, which is apparently unable to deal with Hoffenheim's aggression and movement. Sippel saves the first header, but can only tip it upwards and onto the bar, allowing David Abraham to dash in and nod over the line from as close-range as you can get without it already being a goal.

41' Another great save from Sippel. Sebastian Rudy whips in a rasping free-kick from the left, which Salihovic diverts goalwards. The ball is flying at some pace, but the Kaiserslautern shot-stopper gets a solid pair of fists behind it to block.

35' That save seemed to rattled the hosts into life, having seemingly sensed they were just thrown an unexpected lifeline. Baumjohann and Idrissou are the main dangermen going forward, but so far they haven't been able to unlock their guests' defence.

29'SAVED!Sippel is booked for his misdemeanour but makes amends by diving to his right and keeping out Salihovic's spot-kick, which looked destined for the top corner. The custodian could well have kept his side in the tie there. A 4-1 aggregate score would have been mightily difficult to come back from.

27'PENALTY! Hoffenheim's Kevin Volland latches on to a delightful through ball but is brought down by Kaiserslautern keeper Tobias Sippel.

23' The intensity of the opening minutes has waned somewhat, although both teams are still looking to get forward when they can. More often than not though, passes are going astray at the crucial moment.

19' On the right-hand edge of the penalty box, Firmino produces an outrageous scoop, dragging the ball 45 degrees with his instep past his baffled opponent, whose blushes are spared when a team-mate steps in to clear.

14' The hosts have got to grips more with Hoffenheim's pressure, but most of the action is concentrated in the middle of the park. The tackles are fierce and frequent. I wouldn't fancy being an ankle out there tonight.

10' Lautern aren't bad from dead-ball situations either and have caused a few problems already, with towering forward Idrissou using his physique to good advantage.

6' Absolutely stunning free-kick from Hoffenheim's dead-ball specialist Salihovic, who fizzes his effort a whisker wide from a full 30 yards out.

3' It's been a furious start here. Hoffenheim are pressing high up the pitch and not allowing Lautern any time on the ball. However, the hosts have some nifty players in their ranks, particularly Alexander Baumjohann, who is adept at keeping possession in tight spaces.

KICK-OFF! And we're underway! Sejad Salihovic and Firmino get the ball rolling for the guests, but Kaiserslautern coming snarling towards them right away.

Kick-off - 5 mins: Both teams have returned to the dressing rooms to get changed and for some last minute instructions. Though vastly outnumbered, the Hoffenheim supporters have pulled out all the stops too, choreographing their corner of the ground into a heaving mass of blue and white.

Kick-off - 10 mins: Incredible. The sold-out 49,780 capacity Fritz-Walter Stadion is heaving and the home faithful just treated us all to a rendition of "You'll never walk alone". In English. How many leagues can boast bilingual supporters?

Kick-off - 15 mins: 12 points from 17 away games was all Hoffenheim had to show for themselves after 34 Bundesliga Matchdays. It was the second worst haul in the division, with only Fortuna Düsseldorf faring worse.

Kick-off - 20 mins: Both sets of players are out on the pitch for their warm ups. The home crowd are already fired up into a frenzy courtesy of a couple of megafone-wielding supporters.

Kick-off - 30 mins: The hosts will need to keep an eye on Hoffenheim forward Roberto Firmino, who had a hand in all three of his side's strikes (two goals, one assist) in the first leg. The Brazilian was also involved in six of his team's ten total shots on goal.

Kick-off - 35 mins:Hoffenheim have visited Kaiserslautern three times in the past and have scored twice on each occasion. If they manage to repeat that feat this evening, Lautern would need to hit the net five times to go up.

Kick-off - 40 mins: For those of you wondering what this play-off business is all about, it's quite simple: Hoffenheim finished third bottom of the Bundesliga, while Kaiserslautern finished third in Bundesliga 2. They are now jousting for the final berth in Germany's top-flight for the 2013/14 campaign. Greuther Fürth and Fortuna Düsseldorf were relegated directly (final Bundesliga standings), while Hertha Berlin and Eintracht Braunschweig gained automatic promotion (final Bundesliga 2 standings).

Kick-off - 45 mins: A further good omen for Hoffenheim is their record against Kaiserslautern: in the seven competitive matches played so far they have never lost, winning five and drawing twice.

Kick-off - 55 mins: That said, Lautern did lose their last home game of the regular season 2-1 against St. Pauli.

Kick-off - 60 mins: The stage is set for a memorable and nail-biting encounter at the Betzenberg as Kaiserslautern's home is fondly called. The Red Devils were one of Bundesliga 2's toughest nuts to crack on their own patch in 2012/13, winning nine, drawing six and losing just two of their encounters.