Football Germany has been looking forward to this game for weeks. On Wednesday, it’s time for FC Bayern München to face Liverpool FC at the big summit in the second leg of the Champions League knockout round. Starting at 18:00 clock the ball rolls in the Bavarian capital and in advance, regardless of the duel of the German champions in the third league still a few games instead. These will logically go down a bit on Wednesday, but are no less important for the clubs. On matchday 28, it’s about three important points and especially for the clubs Halle and Cottbus to make a good forecast for the upcoming 10 games. While the hosts are in the midst of the promotion race and are sniffing the second league, guests from the east of the republic are threatened with a direct relegation to the regional league after their much acclaimed promotion last season.
Cottbus, however, still has a catch-up game against Unterhaching in the hindquarters and could set a real mark with a three in the East Derby on Wednesday. The starting position is not the best for the team of Pele Wollitz. The form clearly speaks for the home team, which is why the bookies before the game Halle vs.. Cottbus have set the odds for a tip on the hosts significantly lower. It would take a big surprise if Energie wants to celebrate the first away trip in 2019. So far, the Red-whites are even waiting for the first goal in foreign countries in the new calendar year. On the other hand, the HFC has not caught a single goal in 2019 at home, which underpins the assessment of the bookmakers.
Halle :
The Hallescher FC is a real top team in the third division. This not only makes the table situation clear, but also the way in which the Red-Whites contest the games. Most recently, the troupe of successful coach Torsten Ziegner prevailed 1-0 at bottom of Aalen. The table third took on the fight of the underdogs and secured by a beautiful single action of Ajani the 1-0 work victory. Exactly these threes are needed to hold their own in the front three places. In contrast to 4-0 against Uerdingen before the coach let his same starting lineup on the lawn. This time, however, there will probably be a forced change. Braydon Manu injured himself in aalen on the sham bone, pulled a crack and bruise. A short time later there was an all-clear from the medical department of the Saxons. There is no break and the offensive did not even have to go to the hospital.
Whether his injury has disappeared so far by Wednesday, that he can appear without complaints against Cottbus, is questionable. Currently, nothing has been announced by the Hallescher FC. With Erik Henschel and Sebastian Mai, the same two players will be eliminated for the time being, as in the past few weeks. The rest of the formation without Manu seems to be set anyway. Coach Torsten Ziegner can look positively forward to halftime’s home game against Cottbus after the two wins, and the odds for a home win are not so bad. The hosts have all the trumps in their hands and can take the next big step towards league 2 with another threesome. Even the direct promotion ranks, currently occupied by VfL Osnabrück and Karlsruher SC, are still within reach.
Cottbus:
“Inside I have to cry sometimes”, this moving statement put coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz a few weeks after the fourth defeat of his team in series. The climber threatens to have to compete directly again the bitter gait in the Regionalliga. The moving statements of her coach seem to have unleashed new energy in the players of energy, because at last the East Germans presented themselves significantly improved form. Especially defensive Cottbus was in the two games at the SG Sonnenhof Großaspach and against Prussia Münster hardly anything. When 0: 0 in Großaspach despaired the offensive forces still on the opposing keeper Broll. At home against Münster there was then in 3: 0 finally the big liberation. The Wollitz-Elf has reported back in the descent and is only three points behind the saving shore back. Depending on the results of the competition on Wednesday even the jump to a non-relegation zone would be possible. But in Halle a victory of Cottbus ago, although the odds bookmakers do not really expect this.
At least the momentum seems to be back on the side of the guests from Lusatia. Another glimmer of hope is the rise in shape of veteran Dimitar Rangelov. The 36-year-old finally displaced Luke Hemmerich on the bench and convinced against the Prussians not only because of his hit. His experience also did the team so well. Thus, it is questionable whether the Bulgarian is not an option against Halle, although Hemmerich should actually return to the starting lineup. It is one of the few personal questions that Pele Wollitz has to answer. Otherwise, his team is almost alone due to the still high number of injuries. Scheidhauer, Zimmer, Zickert, Stanese, Kruse Knechtel – the list of players in the military hospital is long and prominent. But whining is out of the question for the emotional coach. Rather, he demands a brutal mentality of his protégés to confirm the positive trend on Wednesday and to send a further sign of life to the competition with a point win in the ascent aspirant.
PREDICTION: Hallescher to win @ 1,60
