Rot-Weiss Essen will face FC Viktoria Köln on the road Sunday evening (March 22, 7:30 p.m.). Here’s what Uwe Koschinat had to say ahead of the match.

First, the good news from Rot-Weiss Essen’s perspective: Marek Janssen was able to complete the full team training session on Friday (March 20) and will play on Sunday against FC Viktoria Köln.

“He trained without any issues and is available to us,” reports Uwe Koschinat. While Koschinat’s 13-goal scorer quickly got his Achilles tendon problems under control, another key player is out.

Namely, Jannik Hofmann. “He’s dealing with a hematoma resulting from his training accident on Wednesday. Jannik will definitely be out. The same still applies to Jannik Mause,” explains Koschinat.

Viktoria Köln sits comfortably in mid-table with 38 points. But if coach Marian Wilhelm has his way, Viktoria still needs a few more points. “At 45 points, we can close the book. I hope that after Sunday night, we’ll have 41 points in the bank,” he told Forecasting.
I’m not concerned with the situation on Matchday 38. Overall, we’re in a very stable position. Our focus is solely on our next opponent.

Uwe Koschinat
Koschinat, who recently led Rot-Weiss Essen to three consecutive wins and is in a relegation spot for the first time after 29 games, has great respect for Höhenberg’s performances.

Koschinat: “This is a team that has once again surprised us positively over the course of the season. The personnel situation hasn’t bothered Viktoria. Dudu and Lobinger left in the winter, and Viktoria managed to compensate for those losses. This is a very solid team distinguished by various factors. And clearly: It’s a possession-oriented team. But it can also capitalize heavily on set-piece situations. It’s always a special situation to wrap up a matchday. We’re looking forward to it, and I expect an exciting game at Sportpark Höhenberg.”

The fact that Essen is currently third and thus in the role of the team being chased is of only marginal interest to Koschinat. He emphasized ahead of the away game in Cologne: “I’m not concerned with the situation on Matchday 38. Overall, we’re in a very stable position. Our focus is solely on our next opponent.”