SSVg Velbert will host MSV Duisburg in the Niederrhein Cup on Friday. Forecasting spoke with Velbert coach Ismael Jaouri ahead of the match.
SSVg Velbert remains unbeaten in the Oberliga Niederrhein. With 19 points from nine games, coach Ismail Jaouri’s team is in fifth place in the table and thus belongs to the top group in the Oberliga.
But away from league action, the next important game is coming up for Velbert – this time in the Niederrhein Cup round of 16. Next Friday, October 11, MSV Duisburg will be the visitors to Velbert. Kick-off at the IMS Arena is at 7:30 p.m.
There couldn’t be better conditions for a cup game: Friday evening, floodlights, a home game against a traditional team like Duisburg. No wonder Jaouri is full of anticipation.
He emphasizes: “This is obviously a highlight for us. The anticipation among me and the team is huge. The atmosphere in the locker room has been excellent for days and everyone is fired up for this match. We know the stadium will be full and we’re looking forward to a great atmosphere.”
The Duisburg fans may also be responsible for this atmosphere. In recent weeks, there have been repeated headlines about how Duisburg fans have taken over their opponents’ stadiums with several thousand fans. In Velbert, too, half of the 3,000 spectators are expected to be from Duisburg.
From a purely sporting point of view, Jaouri knows that his team is going into the game as the underdog. Duisburg are currently top of the Regionalliga West table.
The 32-year-old emphasizes: “Duisburg have had a good start to the season and, for me, they are not a normal Regionalliga team. They don’t belong in this league and should actually be playing at a much higher level. We know that we are the clear underdogs, but we still want to play and create our own chances.”
Velbert are among the top teams in the Oberliga Niederrhein and, as such, control most games with their own possession.
However, Jaouri does not want to abandon his game plan for the match against the higher-ranked MSV Duisburg: “It would be wrong for me to throw everything overboard for one game. We want to show our normal face and continue to create our chances. But of course we’ll have to defend more, and the work against the ball will be even more important.”
The 32-year-old was unable to give any concrete details about the personnel situation: ‘Some offensive players will probably be out. But we’ll have to take it day by day; I can’t give a concrete number yet.’