TSV 1860 Munich did not match the third division start record of the Offenbacher Kickers from the 2010/11 season. A sixth win in a row would have been necessary for that, but the game at Viktoria Köln on Saturday afternoon ended 1-1. That’s bad news, but only for statistics nerds. And anyone who saw the many happy lion faces on the pitch and in the stands after Jesper Verlaat’s late equalizer and the final whistle would have guessed that there weren’t too many statistics nerds among the players and fans of TSV 1860.
They saw the positives: a draw against a strong opponent and the defense of the lead in the table, one point ahead of promoted SV Elversberg, while the presumably more serious competition for promotion dropped points again. And 1860 coach Michael Köllner was beaming: “We worked hard, kept coming back, and in the end we rewarded each other – late, but in time. 16 points from six games is an amazing record.”
The Viktoria squad was “top quality” for the third division, Köllner had remarked before the game, and that was not just the opponent’s usual strong speech, but also the truth. In the early stages, Sixty controlled the game and had the first chance through a Martin Kobylanski free-kick; Cologne goalkeeper Ben Voll made a save, and central defender Verlaat then headed over the goal from close range (7′). After a quarter of an hour, however, Viktoria began to build up enormous pressure with great commitment and playful means. 1860 keeper Marco Hiller first saved against Simon Handle (17th) and then with an outstanding reflex against his teammate Fabian Greilinger, who would otherwise have scored a massive own goal when trying to clear a Handle cross (20th).
Cologne pushed and pushed. “You have to get through phases like this,” said the suspended 1860 midfielder Tim Rieder as a co-commentator on Bavarian television. However, his team did not survive the phase: 17-year-old central defender Leandro Morgalla misjudged and then fouled Simon Stehle. With the undisputed penalty, Hiller, who had been so strong up to that point, was unable to do anything against Marcel Risse. After that, the keeper saved again by storming out against Handle after a through ball from Risse (42nd), then the Löwen had to be happy to go into the dressing room only one goal behind. At sixty, they accept that young Morgalla is still good for one or two dropouts, his talent is too great. After all, similar mistakes can also be seen in the third division by far older and far less talented players.
The Löwen should now win again on the seventh day of the game – that’s what Offenbacher Kickers finally did in 2010/11
Köllner made two changes at the break (Erik Tallig for Kobylanski, Daniel Wein for Rieder representative Quirin Moll). Center forward Meris Skenderovic, this time with little penetrating power, failed twice in a double chance at Viktoria keeper Voll (59th) and then had to make room for the more powerful nine Fynn Lakenmacher (64th). In addition, the fast and technically strong Albrion Vrenezi came into play (70th), Köllner initiated the final offensive and turned Verlaat into a center forward. And with only a few chances, they actually managed to equalize – Vrenezi’s free kick and Verlaat scored to make it 1:1 (86th) after a pass from new colleague Lakenmacher.
Based on a legendary TSV 1860 press release from the wild second division days, one could say: “The plan drawn up by Köllner included both the conception of a new powerful team and the plan.” The equalizer was not only the result of pure will, but also a tactical measure – that made the lions all the happier. They should now win again on the seventh match day (Saturday, 2 p.m., against Duisburg), which Offenbacher Kickers finally did in 2010/11 after a draw on the sixth match day. Viktoria Köln, meanwhile, meets a strong team from Munich again on Wednesday: in the catch-up game of the first round of the DFB Cup against a certain FC Bayern.