MSV Duisburg fans will clearly outnumber the home crowd in the stands at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim II. MSV coach Dietmar Hirsch is looking forward to it.

MSV Duisburg travels to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim II as the league leader. And despite the match being scheduled for Friday evening, November 21, at 7:30 p.m., and the stadium being quite difficult to reach by public transportation, around 1,000 Zebra fans will be making the trip. There will also be a box office on-site.

Hirsch welcomes the large visiting crowd. “That’s great. In recent weeks, we’ve had classic away games in larger stadiums, where the visitors’ section was, of course, well-attended. We appreciate that. If 1,000 or more Duisburg fans are in Hoffenheim, then I believe we’ll be in the majority and it’ll feel like a home game. It’s a small stadium, and we’re playing under the lights. I’m looking forward to it.”

The fact that the TSG pros will be playing an hour later in nearby Mainz is unlikely to have much impact on the home crowd’s enthusiasm. In terms of atmosphere, the MSV fans will have the upper hand—and Hirsch may even be able to give audible commands.

Because those commands often get lost in the atmosphere of lively home games. “With over 20,000 spectators in our arena, that’s difficult; in Hoffenheim, it’s a bit easier now. But even if I can’t reach the players verbally, they make good decisions. The less I have to shout, the better they perform. But of course, I always try to help.”

The away game against the seventh-place team should be quite interesting from a sporting perspective. After all, TSG has already dealt some serious blows to several top teams and those aspiring to be among them, including VfL Osnabrück (4-0), TSV 1860 Munich (5-1), Hansa Rostock (1-0), and Energie Cottbus (4-1).

“They’ve also lost to top teams like Essen,” Hirsch countered, though he also praised the opponent. “Hoffenheim II rightfully sits in the upper half of the table. They’re a good team and have recently achieved exceptional results. But they’ve also had some negative surprises. Hoffenheim II is an extremely strong, courageous team that has very good players, especially on the offensive wings. They like to go one-on-one at speed. We have to defend against that.”