Against 1860, VfL Osnabrück would like to consolidate their position as the top team in the 3. Liga on Saturday. But coach Daniel Scherning knows about the qualities of the opponent and warns about the league table.
VfL Osnabrück have won seven of 14 games so far this season. That is the second most successes in the league – only surpassed by leaders Magdeburg (9). Against 1860 Munich on Saturday, the eighth win of the season should follow at best. According to Scherning, the coach of the second-placed team in the league, this is no easy matter: “1860 is an opponent who is in very good form, has not lost in the last five games and always looks very well prepared.”
This is to be assessed detached from the current table situation, he said: “We’ve managed well so far to stay on top, but that doesn’t do us any good for Saturday. In this league, more than in any other league, the ranking is not decisive.” The 38-year-old particularly highlights the work against the ball and subsequent counter-attacks as a strength of the Löwen: “They are active in counter-pressing, have a good structure especially against the ball, concede few goals as a result and score many goals after winning the ball due to their good switching behaviour.” Sascha Mölders in particular is a factor here, whom Scherning classifies as a “target player who is unpleasant to play against”.
1860 is not only made up of Sascha Mölders. Sascha Mölders 1860 Munich in the 3 Liga.
However, it is not only “Die Wampe von Giesing” who poses a threat to his team: “1860 is not only made up of Sascha Mölders “, emphasises the Osnabrück coach and continues: “They have an experienced axis and many good players who can be dangerous in the direction of the box”. That’s why it’s important to defend the visitors’ box collectively, in order to prevent any actions that could get to Mölders. “He is not the only player with a certain quality in this league. We’ve already had one or two against us and still conceded one of the fewest goals in the league,” says Scherning optimistically that this plan will succeed.
Once again, he can rely on Omar Traoré. The Osnabrück native is part of the stable defence of the Lower Saxons and, according to Scherning, “if you look at the season, part of the framework of this team”. However, this is by no means set in stone: “We have someone in David Itter who also does it very well, who trains at a high level and shows time and again that he can play the position at the same level without any problems when he comes in.” That competition, he said, is “brutally good and important”.
Competition livens up Osnabrück’s business
The situation is similar in the forward line. Marc Heider is currently set in the preferred 4-3-3. “He does a very good job, is important for the pressing and is our top scorer with six goals,” said the VfL coach, summing up the importance of the veteran. New signing Andrew Wooten is currently suffering from this. “I think he came in well against Freiburg and showed what he can do. In Verl it wasn’t the moment to do something up front – especially in a phase like that, when we weren’t at our best in the game,” says Scherning, assessing the situation of the striker and adding: “The moment will come at some point. In football, things move very quickly in one direction or the other.”
For VfL, things should continue to go up. Preferably as early as Saturday with a win against the Lions. “We know that a good team is coming up against us, but we are in a good mood ourselves at the moment and have a home game in front of a five-figure crowd,” said the Osnabrück coach, summing up the prerequisites for the duel, in which one thing is clear for him: “As always, we want to win the game.” After all, they are “somehow rightly up there”.
