Advancement check in the 3rd league: who will make it up in the elevator?

Created: 03/18/2022, 04:47

By: Uli Kellner

Crunch time: 1860 trainer Michael Köllner.

He grew a playoff mustache around this time last year.

© Imago

Eight game days left - and seven clubs are fighting for promotion places.

Magdeburg seems to be through, behind it every turn is conceivable.

Our check.

Munich

- Time flies, even in the 3rd division.

In almost exactly two months, the lions will know where their journey is going: finally up to the 2nd division?

Or in another third division year that would already be the fifth?

The last day of the game is scheduled for May 14th, followed by two relegation games (May 20th/24th), which are already within reach for the lions.

Three points are behind third place, which is currently occupied by the relegation rivals from 2018, 1. FC Saarbrücken.

It's already clear: there will be a tussle and a stab for the seats in the elevator upstairs.

Even Magdeburg has weakened recently, while Lautern, who came second, looks solid, while behind them there is a lot of movement in the table every week.

As things stand, it will be a heptathlon for promotion.

We show which teams go into the final sprint with the best chances.

1. FC Magdeburg

(30 games/65 points)

Will the league leaders get the promotion flutter like Dresden did last year?

Two weak results suggest this (1-1 against Halle, 1-2 at Türkgücü), with Magdeburg's one-point week only the yield being bad, not the performance.

And even if: The hasty leader could even afford a real crisis, because there are only three wins to the 74-point mark, which was still enough for direct promotion.

It is more likely that the FCM is chasing its own record: it was a proud 85 points in the last ascent in 2018.

Remaining program:

Meppen (H), Berlin (A), Cologne (H), Verl (A), Zwickau (H), Braunschweig (A), 1860 (H), Osnabrück (A).

1. FC Kaiserslautern

(30 games/56 points)

In the second half of the season, FCK performed as confidently as FCM: seven wins and three draws resulted in 24 points.

The only slip-up was the last-minute defeat at the Löwen, for which competitor Osnabrück had to pay for four days later (1-0 away).

This is how top teams perform.

And an important value also speaks for it: Lautern has already kept 18 clean sheets: third division record.

Remaining program:

Freiburg (A), Duisburg (H), Würzburg (A), Saarbrücken (H), Wehen (A), Dortmund II (H), Cologne (A), Türkgücü (H).

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1. FC Saarbrücken

(30 games/52 points)

A big advantage for the Saarlanders: they have given up playing draws.

In 2022 there were only wins (six) or defeats (four) - that's how you get from the spot, especially since the FSC got its defense tight - by switching to a back three.

And: Since ex-lion Adriano Grimaldi (11 goals, five assists) was injured, the team is less easy to calculate.

Another Saarbrücken trump card is the strong bank, which provides the best number of joker goals in the league (ten – plus nine assists).

Remaining program:

Halle (H), TSV 1860 (A), Mannheim (H), FCK (A), Verl (H), Berlin (A), Zwickau (H), Freiburg II (A).

Eintracht Braunschweig

(29 games/51 points)

The home defeat against Saarbrücken hurt the relegated team.

But Eintracht is used to dealing with setbacks (of which 1860 can also sing a song, losing a 1-0 lead in the first leg and a 2-0 lead in the return).

Everything has already been said about the great trump card of the Northern Lions: The team of the former Würzburg coach and Magath victim Michael Schiele stands for physical football, for intensive, physical work on the pitch, trusting in the well-rehearsed axis Fejzic, Krausse, Behrendt, Lauberbach.

Good for the current fourth: He has the catch-up game in Osnabrück in hand and can play a total of five times in foreign stadiums, which suits the strengths of the team (second place in the away table).

Remaining program:

Dortmund II (A), Osnabrück (A), Havelse (H), Wehen (A), Würzburg (H), Türkgücü (A), Magdeburg (H), Meppen (A), Cologne (H).

TSV 1860

(30 games/49 points)

As in the previous year, the TSV 1860 was almost written off before Michael Köllner's team gave the signal - and now it's again before the exit of the 2nd league.

Will the lions pull through this time?

The most recent appearances speak for it, the returned lightness, the responsibility spread over many shoulders, the hunger for success from Hiller to Bär.

But: It won't be easy, because the rest of the program is tough (although direct duels are also a chance) - and of course the pressure will increase again at some point.

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Remaining program:

Mannheim (A), Saarbrücken (H), Freiburg II (A), Osnabrück (H), Duisburg (A), Havelse (H), Magdeburg (A), Dortmund II (H).

Waldhof Mannheim

(30 games/49 points)

The third-best team of the first half of the season has been weakening since the beginning of the second series (eleventh place).

The reasons: The Carl Benz Stadium is no longer a fortress (only six wins).

In addition, there is the dependency on the extra talents Martinovic (11/7) and Schnatterer (9/5).

The Waldhof boys lack consistency, but if they win against 1860 on Sunday anything is still possible.

Remaining program:

TSV 1860 (H), Zwickau (A), Saarbrücken (A), Freiburg II (H), Osnabrück (A), Duisburg (H), Wehen Wiesbaden (A), Havelse (H).

VfL Osnabrück

(29 games/48 points)

Constantly annoying topic in Osnabrück: When winter comes, comes the crisis - due to the training conditions at the Illoshöhe, which are unworthy of the third division.

Most recently, the VfL kickers even had to switch to the surrounding district league pitches in order to be able to train reasonably properly.

But they do well in the second half of the season (fourth place), which also has the catch-up game against Braunschweig ready.

Another shortcoming: a clipper is missing at the front.

Marc Heider (at the club since 2016) does what he can (eight goals, seven assists), but the Californian is slowly getting to the age of Mölders, he will be 36 in May. The worst offensive of the top 7 (43 goals) could end up being a disadvantage, of course.

Remaining program:

Berlin (H), Braunschweig (H), Halle (A), Verl (H), 1860 (A), Mannheim (H), Freiburg (A), Havelse (A), Magdeburg (H).