Osnabrück hosted in the URSAPHARM Arena

In the summer the two teams won promotion together, then in the first half of the season SV Elversberg gained their first 2. Liga win against VfL Osnabrück. On Sunday, VfL are coming to Saarland with a new coach as the bottom-placed team in the league.

The points gained in Düsseldorf by SV Elversberg mean that they have a fairly relaxed position in the table – although the same cannot be said about the staffing situation for the central defence: as well as Marcel Correia and Kevin Conrad, at the weekend Carlo Sickinger also fell victim to muscular problems, and even more painfully, Frederik Jäkel suffered a cruciate ligament rupture. This means that this defender, on loan from RB Leipzig, will no longer be taking to the field for SVE.

VfL’s table position is significantly less relaxed: Uwe Koschinat’s team is in last place in the table with just 12 points, and are 11 points away from the first non-relegation spot. However, the coach still sees opportunities for his team: ‘SVE’s major injury issues in their central defence have had a big impact, so it is likely that this position will be filled by another footballer rather than a specialist. This gives us scope and opportunities to cause problems for SVE. I don’t think we are without chances’, Uwe Koschinat noted.

The defence situation for SVE, who are 17 points ahead of VfL, is not ideal, but Horst Steffen will have the right plan lined up – as has consistently been the case this year.