Grounded euphoria: Elversberg host Fortuna Düsseldorf for a promotion showdown
This is a scenario that many SV Elversberg fans could not have imagined at the start of the season: after their 3:1 away win against Hannover 96, coach Horst Steffen’s team are in a sensational third place in the 2. Bundesliga – with just five days of play to go. It is a moment that is raising hopes and feeding dreams, but combined with a requisite amount of realism. On Saturday, the team face their direct competitors for promotion in the shape of Fortuna Düsseldorf. This match could barely be any more explosive in sporting terms – and it is front of a home crowd.
‘We are proud to be able to play in these illustrious ranks of traditional teams. But the table situation does not change our preparations for the next match at all’, coach Steffen matter-of-factly emphasised. And yet, the fact that SV Elversberg are currently being mentioned in the same sentence as 2. Bundesliga promotion hopes is not something to take for granted. SVE began their second 2. Bundesliga season as outsiders – and are now competing for a top division place.
Their recent away win in Hanover was impressive from a sporting perspective, but also very timely, as Elversberg picked up three points whilst all of their rivals in the top third of the table dropped points. The result: third place – promotion prospects, Bundesliga in reach, euphoria in Saarland. ‘I would love to be promoted to the Bundesliga, but we are not going crazy’, sports director Ole Book clarified.
Before the season started, a lot of football experts said that the second year in the 2. Bundesliga would be the hardest. We now have 47 points and are in third place with five days of play left in the season. We have played a fantastic season, wherever we stand after 34 days of play.
In the season’s final sprint, the table is being rearranged what feels like every minute, partly also thanks to the tense remaining matches faced by all candidates for promotion. Seven teams are engaged in a tight race for third place – and all will be playing at least two of their direct competitors in the remaining days of play. This promises a finale that will be hard to beat in terms of drama. Predictions? Impossible. The dynamic? Unpredictable.
Fortuna in distress – but ready for battle
Fortuna Düsseldorf are heading to Saarland on Saturday, bringing an opponent that are themselves in the midst of the promotion race but currently battling some real injury woes. Düsseldorf’s coach Daniel Thioune had to manage without ten core players for their recent 2:1 win in Paderborn and was forced to include U23 players in the professional team. Despite the situation, Fortuna are battling fiercely for their chance to be promoted.
Lots of fight, lots of hard work, lots of passion. Football is in the background for now. That’s how we’re heading to Elversberg
said Thioune, emphasising the Rhineland team’s current line of approach: stick together, not complain, give their all.
Although their staffing situation has eased somewhat (a few ailing players are now back in training), they are still focusing on the collective. Goalkeeper Florian Kastenmeier seemed markedly calm despite the lineup issues. ‘I wasn’t worried by having fewer players. We know everyone’s quality. Even the brand new U23 additions proved in training and match deployments that we can rely on everyone’, the keeper said – adding: ‘I’m not feeling panicked at the moment.’
Panic would be a similarly unsuitable response to what Elversberg have achieved on the pitch this season. Kastenmeier has respect for their upcoming opponents: ‘Elversberg are the strongest team in the division. They play freely and are individually fantastic.’ Given this, the 27 year old urged focusing on what matters:
We are focusing on beating Elversberg […] We are not looking beyond match day. We are looking at the team and giving our all.
Asllani in top form – SVE offensive almost unstoppable
One key factor in Elversberg’s sporting rise is without a doubt Fisnik Asllani. The young striker has stepped into the spotlight in impressive form this season: with 17 goals, he is not only the best goal scorer at the club, but also one of the best in the entire division. His form in recent weeks has been particularly exceptional: Asllani followed two goals in their 6:0 win against Regensburg with a hat-trick during their away victory in Hanover.
Fortuna’s defence will therefore have their hands full keeping the 22 year old in check. However, Düsseldorf caution against focusing solely on Asllani. ‘We don’t cover each player individually now. We are trying to establish an overall picture of Elversberg’s attack over the course of this week’, Kastenmeier noted. Nevertheless, Elversberg’s offensive line has chalked up 54 goals, making it one of the most dangerous in the league – only Hamburger SV (63) and Magdeburg (55) have scored more.
So for SVE, this duel against Düsseldorf is more than just a top game – it is a yardstick, a touchstone. If they manage another coup against a direct rival, this would be both a big statement and a huge step towards promotion. But despite all this euphoria, the club remain true to their grounded approach: ‘We are taking one game at a time, not looking at things overall. It is the only way that makes sense’, Düsseldorf’s coach Thioune also said – a perspective thoroughly shared by Elversberg.
Sad farewell: Maurice Neubauer moving on
One cloud on the horizon at this point in Elversberg’s season is the imminent departure of Maurice Neubauer: the 28-year-old left back will be leaving the club after five years and joining Hannover 96 for upcoming season. This decision was met with respect but also a touch of regret in the SVE camp. Neubauer has become a top performer at Elversberg, playing for Saarland 158 times so far, and has shone this season with two goals and seven assists in 31 matches.
‘We have been following Maurice and his development for a long time. He has now become an experienced second-division player who has performed exceptionally well this season. He is one of the top five in the league when it comes to running. He has also scored a notable number of goals for his position. We were able to see him in action last Saturday’, Hannover’s sporting director Marcus Mann said about the transfer. Neubauer’s departure is a real loss for Elversberg in both sporting and human terms. But the defender still has one clear goal: to achieve promotion for SVE.
The dream lives on – but with a clear perspective
SV Elversberg have achieved remarkable things this season – but the coach, players and managers do not want to overhype the situation. It is not about table maths or scenario calculations. It is about the next match. And the next opponent. And the next home game – against a team that will also be giving their all.
The URSAPHARM Arena will shake once again on Saturday when SVE face Fortuna Düsseldorf. This will be a hugely important match in sporting terms, one brimming with emotions and pace. A match that will captivate spectators and challenge the team. But however the match ends, SV Elversberg have already proven that they are much more than just an underdog: they are a real contender for a Bundesliga promotion spot – with their hearts in the right place and their attentions focused on what really matters.