Regional league team Alemannia Aachen welcomes 1. FC Düren on Saturday. Coach Heiner Backhaus is full of energy.

Neighborhood duel in the Regionalliga West: On Saturday (November 18, 2 p.m.), Alemannia Aachen will play 1. FC Düren at the Tivoli. Only one point separates the two teams ahead of the direct comparison. Aachen are sixth with 26 points, while Düren are fourth with 27 points. It is therefore expected to be a match of equals.

Accordingly, Alemannia coach Heiner Backhaus is aware of the importance of this game, even though he emphasizes: “Every game is special at Alemannia Aachen. Even during the week, 2200 spectators come to a cup match.”

So now 1. FC Düren is coming to the Aachen Tivoli. And they have a clear goal: “We are playing against a team that is ahead of us in the table and we can change that on our own. We want to overtake Düren and enter the promotion battle.”

Backhaus says of the opponents: “Düren’s team is very good. I’ve seen them several times. They are very robust at the back and play lightning-fast up top after winning the ball. That requires a really good performance. We have a duty here at home. It’s a very special game for the fans, you can really feel that.”

Speaking of fans: Between 15,000 and 20,000 spectators are expected, an incredible crowd for a regional league match. As of Thursday afternoon, 14,715 tickets have already been sold. The 41-year-old Backhaus is looking forward to a soccer festival:

We have the 12th man behind us, we will be carried and want to act as a unit.

Heiner Backhaus

“Awesome, awesome! Our fans are always there, always behind us. There’s nothing better. We’ve got the 12th man behind us, we’ll let them carry us and we want to act as a unit.”

It will also be a very special game for Aachen’s top goalscorer Marc Brasnic. He moved from Düren to the Tivoli before the season. However, Backhaus has not yet decided whether he will start: “I’m not going to say who will play. He should step on the gas, show himself and let his heart out. That will help him and us the most. “