TSV 1860 Munich is climbing the standings from the bottom and is closing in on the top spots. Next up is the Bavarian derby in Ingolstadt, which looks set to be a home game.
TSV 1860 Munich travels to the derby on Saturday. Their opponent is FC Ingolstadt at the Audi Sportpark.
In terms of atmosphere, this matchup will feel like a home game for the Lions. Up to 6,000 TSV 1860 fans have secured tickets for the match in Ingolstadt.
A total of 4,500 tickets were sold to Munich through regular channels, but many 1860 supporters also ordered tickets directly in Ingolstadt. “The team has to stay focused. Support from the stands is always a bonus, but we saw in Regensburg that it isn’t the only deciding factor. In the end, it always comes down to us and how we adjust to the opponent!” emphasizes 1860 coach Markus Kauczinski.
In Ingolstadt, the coach will continue to be without Jesper Verlaat, Morris Schröter, Manuel Pfeifer, Tunay Deniz, and Raphael Schifferl. Additionally, Maximilian Wolfram will be missing from the lineup on Saturday. The versatile forward missed training due to illness.
Most recently, Kauczinski was satisfied with his team’s performances—not just because of the three consecutive wins, all of which were secured with the same starting lineup.
“We’re growing closer together week by week; things and processes are working better and better, and you can see that in our performances. That said, I’m not celebrating just yet. But if we put into practice what we train for and set out to do, then things will get better week by week. Right now, our development is more important to me than the standings. If you play well and keep improving, success will come automatically,” says Kauczinski.
The 55-year-old Löwen coach can look back on a stint as head coach of the Schanzer, even though it was a brief period of just twelve games. He harbors no hard feelings about it, though. “That’s just part of the game,” he says, taking a pragmatic view of his time at FCI.
“It was a great challenge for me in the First Division. Maybe I was the wrong man at the wrong time,” he joked. Ralph Hasenhüttl had previously led Ingolstadt to promotion to the Bundesliga in 2015 as Second Division champions. “The stakes were very high,” Kauczinski admitted. There were some notable results, like a 3–3 draw against BVB, but ultimately not enough points. “Despite the short time there, I have positive memories of it. I learned just how close success and failure are!”
He approaches his colleague Sabrina Wittmann’s team with respect. Kauczinski: “It’s a team with a clear game plan and good preparation, one that will certainly try to surprise us with its transition play. But we also know that if we’re patient and approach Ingolstadt the right way, we’ll get our chances.”
