SSVg Velbert will host MSV Duisburg in the Lower Rhine Cup on Friday. Forecasting spoke to Velbert coach Ismael Jaouri ahead of the game.
SSVg Velbert remains undefeated in the Lower Rhine Oberliga. With 19 points from nine games, Ismail Jaouri’s team is in 5th place and thus among the top teams in the Oberliga.
But away from the league, the next important game is coming up for Velbert – this time in the round of 16 of the Lower Rhine Cup. Next Friday, October 11, MSV Duisburg will be the guests in Velbert. Kick-off at the IMS Arena is at 7:30 p.m.
You couldn’t ask for better conditions for a cup game: Friday evening, floodlit, home game against a traditional team like Duisburg. No wonder Jaouri is full of anticipation.
He emphasizes: “Of course this is an absolute highlight game for us. The anticipation among me and the team is huge. The mood in the dressing room has been excellent for days and everyone is fired up for this duel. We know that the stadium will be full and are looking forward to a great atmosphere.”
The Duisburg fans could also be responsible for this atmosphere. In recent weeks, there have been repeated headlines about how the Duisburg team has taken over the stadiums of their opponents with several thousand fans. In Velbert, too, it is expected that half of the 3,000 spectators will be from Duisburg.
From a purely sporting point of view, Jaouri knows that his team is the underdog going into the game. Duisburg are currently top of the table in the Regionalliga West.
The 32-year-old emphasizes: “Duisburg had a good start to the season and for me they are not a normal regional league team. They don’t belong in this league and should actually play much higher. We know that we are the clear underdog, but we still want to play and create our scoring chances.”
In the Oberliga Niederrhein, Velbert is among the top teams and accordingly controls most games with its own possession of the ball.
But Jaouri does not want to discard his game plan for the game against the higher-ranked MSV Duisburg either: “For me, it would be wrong to throw everything overboard for one game. We want to show our normal face and continue to create our scoring chances. But of course we will have to defend more, and working against the ball will be even more important.”
The 32-year-old was unable to provide any specific information about the personnel situation: “Some offensive players will probably be out. But we have to take it day by day, I can’t give a specific number yet.”