A strong defensive performance paired with an anemic offense had the 1. FC Kaiserslautern record its second-straight 0-0 tie to start this season, this time against Karlsruher SC in the Southwest derby on Saturday evening.

The sold-out crowd of 49,327 on hand for the home opener at Fritz-Walter Stadium saw a cagey, highly emotional match with physical play and scoring opportunities few and far between. Both teams combined four six yellow cards and 31 fouls.

The Red Devils controlled possession early in the match, but midfielder Naatan Skyttä and striker Mergin Berisha’s chances in the 20th and 22nd minutes failed to hit the target.

Then, in the 48th minute, Ibrahim Kanaté, who replaced the injured Skyttä, picked up a nifty pass from captain Marlon Ritter, only for his shot from a tight angle to be cleared for a corner.

After that, KSC pounced on turnovers in the FCK defensive third of the field and went toward goal. The visitors came close to finding the back of the net multiple times, but goalkeeper Julian Krahl blocked all eight shots that came his way to post his second shutout of the young season.

Up next for the Red Devils is another rival, SV Waldorf Mannheim, in the first round of the DFB Pokal on Friday evening. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CET in Mannheim.