Erencan Yardımcı's early second-half strike saw Kaiserslautern tied on points with the previously-unbeaten Nürnberg side. The Turkish striker decided the hard-fought encounter with a powerful header five minutes before the end of his game due to an injury.
Yardımcı, who also scored the only goal of the game as a substitute against his former club Eintracht Braunschweig, entered the pitch in one of the two changes made by Torsten Lieberknecht at the start of the second-half. At the other end of the pitch, Julian Krahl produced a “Man of the Match” performance to thwart the hosts.
Miroslav Klose, who had a memorable stint at Kaiserslautern before making World Cup history, saw his unbeaten start to the 2. Bundesliga campaign came to an end with his first defeat to his first professional club. Meanwhile, Kaiserslautern are now level on points with second-placed Nürnberg. Lieberknecht’s side only scored nine goals in the first nine matchdays, but this is already their seventh clean sheet of the season.
Both teams will play cup ties away from home in midweek. Kaiserslautern face fellow 2. Bundesliga outfit Hannover, while Nürnberg will lock horns with an in-form Leverkusen side.