Cool northern lights, nervous Saxons - and at Ingolstadt and 1860 a showdown is approaching ...

Many a fan of the TSV 1860 should feel like they are in a beautiful, somewhat kitschy dream.

Before Easter, many had ticked off the topic of promotion - two game days later the table looks as if it had been tricked by a white and blue goblin.

Does the white and blue fairy tale end on May 22nd in the 2nd division?

From a deficit of ten resp.

Nine points on the top trio have become five points on Dresden through miraculous coincidences - and four on Rostock and Ingolstadt, which occupy places two and three.

Can that really be true?

Even older fans have to think back a long time to remember such a phase of fateful twists and turns.

In any case, it is not a dream that the lions will have their fate almost in their own hands again.

Our overview shows how the situation is with the four promotion rivals, with what worries the Lions and their competitors go into the last seven games.

Dynamo Dresden (59 points, 1st place)

Situation:

With the defeat in 1860 something got out of hand at Dynamo.

The Saxons had taken 20 out of 24 possible points since the beginning of February, scored 17 goals and looked at the league from above, from the (deceptive) perspective of the designated champions.

All the more astonishing the recent negative run: The last goal is 348 minutes behind, between the defeats in 1860 (0: 1) and Haching (0: 2) there was a zero number against Rostock - and no one has denied the crisis since Sunday at the latest.

A Dynamo insider says: “Dresden is an emotional place, predestined to get nervous.

The situation right now is anything but relaxed. "

Problems:

The unsettled contract situation of coach Markus Kauczinski, internal doubts about his tactical understanding, form weaknesses (Mörschel, Königsdörffer, Jonathan Meier) and a strangely inhibited offensive.

Remaining program:

Duisburg (H), Uerdingen (A), Halle (H), Verl (A), Cologne (H), Türkgücü (H), Wehen Wiesbaden (A).

Forecast:

Dynamo can still do it, the quality of the squad should be enough.

Hansa Rostock (58 points, 2nd place)

Location:

After fifth place at the turn of the year, it looked as if FC Hansa had put on seven-mile boots.

No third division team scored better in the second half of the season: nine wins, two draws with only one defeat.

If you take the paper form as a basis, everything speaks in favor of Rostock.

However, it remains to be seen how they cope with the setback against Magdeburg (0: 2) on the Baltic Sea.

Much will depend on the upcoming away game at Bayern II.

In general, however, the following applies: Nobody loses their nerve that quickly in “Meck-Pomm”.

The Hansa-Kogge is pulled by experienced veterans of strong character (goalkeeper Kolke, Neidhart, Löhmannsröben, Bahn) - and the reaction to the 0-1 bankruptcy in Lübeck speaks volumes: four victories in a row.

Problems:

no except for twelve expiring contracts, which, however, only harbor potential for unrest in the event of a persistent negative run.

Remaining program:

Bayern II (A), Wehen (H), Meppen (A), Ingolstadt (H), Zwickau (H), Haching (A), Lübeck (H).

Forecast:

Rostock will rise as champions.

Team spirit, mental strength and fitness speak for it.

In addition, after the direct duel with Ingolstadt (35th matchday), there are only teams waiting for which the season may have been over.

FC Ingolstadt (58 points, 3rd place)

Situation:

March was a real blissful month for the FCI: four wins, plus the draw at the strong SC Verl. April, April was the name of the game when many already thought that the eleven of the motivational guru Tomas Oral had matured into a top team.

The weak performance in Magdeburg (2-0) was followed by 2-2 against Bayern II, in which two late leaders did not hold.

That was exactly what seemed to be a new strength of the FCI: The fact that you can force victories late, see the crazy 2: 1 against Cologne with a goal keeper in stoppage time.

But now: Are the Schanzers getting nervous because the lions, their final opponent, are stalking each other?

Problems:

A local FCI expert confirms the thesis of creeping nervousness: “You want to go straight up - and just not get back into the relegation.

I see that they are slowly getting a little flutter. "

Remaining program:

Meppen (H), Lübeck (A), Zwickau (H), Rostock (A), Saarbrücken (H), Duisburg (A), TSV 1860 (H).

Forecast:

The FCI threatens another failure on the home stretch.

The relegation knockout against Nuremberg in the last second is still deep in the mind.

TSV 1860 (54 points, 4th place)

Situation:

It's been going again since the lions publicly declared themselves to be hunters: three victories in a row (season premiere), full of goals (57, like Verl) - and a solidarity that even the sober Phillipp Steinhart raves about (“Never seen it before ").

It could actually go on like this.

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Problems:

Currently none - except for the four or five points, which in 1860 had to get even more than Ingolstadt and Co.

Remaining program:

Türkgücü (A), Cologne (H), Mannheim (A), Kaiserslautern (H), Wehen (A), Bayern II (H), Ingolstadt (A).

Forecast:

The Lions have the momentum on their side and could not least benefit from the favorable game schedule (duel Rostock vs. Ingolstadt, final at FCI). It will be exciting to see what happens when 1860 becomes the hunted prematurely. Nevertheless: The fourth will seize the opportunity and in the end at least third.