SV Waldhof Mannheim can take a big step towards relegation in a direct duel with MSV Duisburg on Friday, April 12, 7 p.m.
The starting position could hardly be more different. SV Waldhof Mannheim are currently the most in-form team in the 3rd division and have picked up 13 points in their last five games. Their most recent win was 6:1 against SpVgg Unterhaching.
MSV Duisburg, on the other hand, suffered a 4-1 defeat at Rot-Weiss Essen in the Ruhr derby. If the Zebras want to stay in the league, they will have to win against Waldhof. Visiting coach Marco Antwerpen is well aware of this and warned against Duisburg: “They will fight for their last chance. Of course, they want to avoid relegation at all costs.”
If MSV lose and Arminia Bielefeld win against Rot-Weiss Essen on Sunday, April 14 at 4:30 p.m., Duisburg’s relegation could be all but sealed the following weekend. “We have no influence on the opponent’s situation. We want to continue to show the face we’ve shown in recent weeks and bring our own game to the pitch.”
Waldhof Mannheim will be without goalkeeper Jan-Christoph Bartels in Duisburg. Former Düren player Kevin Goden is also out again with muscular problems. “We have to be compact against the ball and make good use of our attacking moments. You generally don’t get as many chances away from home,” said Antwerp.
The recent 6:1 win against Unterhaching gave his team a boost, said Antwerpen. “You can tell that the players are loosening up. Everything is a bit easier. You can also see that in training. The players are becoming more confident because they know they can win games.”
Should Waldhof Mannheim win in Duisburg, Antwerpen’s team could move eight points ahead of Halle FC in 16th place. However, the 52-year-old was not interested in such arithmetic. “Even when we were five points behind, we didn’t make any calculations. We want to keep winning games – even in Duisburg,” he said.
Nevertheless, a win at MSV would put Waldhof under considerable pressure ahead of their away match at Viktoria Köln on Saturday, April 13, 2 p.m.