3. Liga 2021/22: The story so far
A brief review into how each team in Germany's third tier is getting on so far this season.
As spieltag 15 fast approaches in Germany’s third league, let’s take a moment to analyse how each club is doing so far. Some teams and their fans will be absolutely delighted with their progress meanwhile others will be disappointed by what they’ve seen. Here, we will examine how each team has faired so far and what the remainder of the season might have in store.
FC Magdeburg (1st)
After 14 games the former East German champions current sit top of the pile with 28 points. Before a ball was kicked, Magdeburg were one of the favourites to be challenging around the top end of the table and that’s certainly what they’re doing. Despite losing their last game, FCM are clear at the summit by 4 points. Their leading marksmen, Baris Atik, has scored six times playing from midfield. Meanwhile, the young 22-year-old striker, Luca Schuler, sits on 5. FCM aren’t short of goals and have in fact scored more times than any other team (26 in total). I would expect Magdeburg to be in and around the top three come the end of the season. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see them lift the trophy.
FC Saarbrücken (6th)
After an impressive 5th place finish last season, Saarbrücken are pretty much where they want to be. Currently on 21 points, they are just one win off 2nd place. Saarbrücken seems to be a very well run club from top to bottom. They are in the process of completing stadium renovations and in with a shout for promotion. One criticism of there’s is that they have simply drawn too many games. They have won 5, drew 6th, and lost 3. Only 1860 Munich have drawn more times than any other team this season. If they could turn some of those draws into wins, they might just be in with a shout of a top-three finish.
1860 Munich (13th)
1860 looked like a shoo-in for promotion last year but were beaten at the post by Hansa Rostock. Going into the new campaign many believed the boys from Bavaria would be up and around the top places. However, with just 3 wins to their name so far, 1860 are languishing in the bottom half of the table. An impressive 6-0 thrashing of Freiburg II last weekend should bring some newfound hope to the team. The club and their fans will be disappointed so far and you can’t blame them. However, with a game in hand and still a lot of football to be played, I suspect 1860 to raise up the table fairly quickly. They might have enough to get promoted but they’ll certainly finish in that top half. Watch this space.
Viktoria Berlin (5th)
As newcomers to the league, not many expected much from the Berliners. However, what a breath of fresh air they’ve been! In the first few weeks of the season, they occupied 1st before slipping down to 5th. Viktoria Berlin certainly have what it takes to compete in this league and have played their part in some thrilling encounters. Having scored 25 goals and conceded 18, they rank high for both creativity and leaky defending. It’s this issue that leaves me to believe that Berlin won’t quite have enough for back-to-back promotions but will certainly finish mid-table if not, slightly higher.
MSV Duisburg (19th)
Zebra fans, look away now. Other than one other team in the league, Duisburg have been by far one of the poorest sides in the division. Looking in, many would think they have a great platform to complete at the top. A fantastic stadium, passionate fans, a proud history, why are they not near the top? MSV’s internal issues are leaking onto the pitch and it’s clear for all to see. A succession of managers has left the team in limbo in recent years. Having recently sacked Pavel Dotchev, MSV now have Hagen Schmidt as head coach. He has a lot of work to do if he is to change Duisburg’s fortunes around. I do believe however, MSV can steer themselves out of the bottom four and finish somewhere similar as they did the previous year.
FC Kaiserslautern (11th)
After a shaky start, the red devils are on the up. They’re currently in that mid-table, no man’s land area where you’re not sure whether to look up or down. However, I would argue that FCK fans should certainly be looking upwards towards the top 6 or so. With one of the best defences in the league, FCK are tough to break down. I’d expect Kaiserlautern to climb up the table but still miss out on a top-three finish. In all, this is more of a building season for the former Bundesliga champions.
VfL Osnabrück (2nd)
Having recently come down from the 2. Bundesliga, Osnabrück are certainly building a case for automatic promotion back into the second division. After a rather rocky start, the boys in purple seem to have found their feet in the 3. Liga. Osnabrück don’t score much (18 so far) but don’t leak goals at the same time. They have what it takes to gain promotion but I think they may just miss out due to their lack of goals.
Hallescher FC (8th)
Halle are another team that has drawn more times than they’ve won. With a goal difference of +2, it’s clear that most of their games are often close affairs. With the trusted Terrence Boyd upfront, Hallescher are capable of going on a run and beating the teams around the top. However, Halle always seems to be one of these clubs that aren’t bad enough to go down but not good enough to get into the top three. For me, it’s another mid-table season for Hallescher.
Waldhof Mannheim (3rd)
Waldhoff will be more than happy with their position so far. They’re a point off second with a game in hand. Having lost just twice all season, they’re certainly a side that no what they doing at both ends of the pitch. At the time of writing, the club is facing internal issues which could run the risk of getting to the players. However, all the team can do is focus on their objectives and keep doing what they have been. From what we’ve seen so far this year, Waldhof have the makings of a top-two team.
Borussia Dortmund II (10th)
Another one of the newcomers, Dortmund II seem comfortable in the third-tier. In their ranks, they have players that have been included in the first team and even have some Bundesliga and Champions League experience (a stat which angers a lot of 3. Liga fans but that’s a discussion for another day). Dortmund II have won just as many games as they’ve lost. It’s for this reason that I believe they will finish pretty much where they are right now.
TSV Havelse (20th)
With just two wins and a goal difference of -22, Havelse are quickly becoming the whipping boys of the 3. Liga. It’s clear they’re struggling to keep their heads above water at this level. Nobody would have expected them to thrive but perhaps not sink as quickly as they appear to be. They’re currently 9 points off safety and it’s hard to see them even achieving another nine points in total! I don’t like being negative, but it’s hard to see anything beyond a rock bottom place for Havelse.
SV Meppen (9th)
Meppen have shot up the league in recent weeks. After a shaky start, they’ve achieved a few wins and been involved in some 7-goal thrillers. Meppen were lucky to survive last season and would be delighted with their current league standing. I can’t see them finishing anything higher than their current position, however. Looking at their squad, it lacks depth and that extra bit of quality that is needed. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them have a late end of season scare, but they should have enough to maintain their 3. Liga status.
SC Freiburg II (17th)
Freiburg II have been yoyoing in and around the bottom four all season and I don’t expect that to change. Many knew they would struggle slightly this year and that’s exactly how their season is panning out. However, Freiburg II look like they’re up for the fight. Going into the season, they would have mentally prepared for this and know what they must do to get points on the board. If I were a betting man, however, I would say Freiburg II will finish just inside the bottom four.
SV Wehen Wiesbaden (7th)
Wiesbaden are yet another side battling it out in that middle section. On their day, they can give any side in the division a good game. However, like many in their position, consistency seems to be their weakness. There’s nothing much else to say about Wiesbaden, 7th sounds about right.
Viktoria Köln (16th)
If I was writing this a few weeks back, Köln looked doomed. However, after some impressive wins against Dortmund II and Magdeburg, they’ve breathed new life into their survival campaign. Köln clearly have a system and it seems to work even against the big boys. There’s something about Köln at the minute and you wouldn’t bet against them in terms of surviving. If they continue this upwards trend, Köln should have a fairly reasonable season.
Eintracht Braunschweig (4th)
Relegated last season, Braunschweig appear to be doing all they can to get straight back into the 2. Bundesliga. One of the highest scorers in the league, the team from Lower-Saxony clearly know how to put the ball away. They have conceded a few more than a team in 4th usually would (16) and that could be an issue. However, Braunschweig certainly look like they’re going to be in and around the top three. I expect them to battle it out with the likes of Magdeburg and Waldhof.
Türkgücü München (12th)
After a few negative results, Türkgücü fans will be a bit worried about where their season is heading. They’re conceding goals far too frequently and it could come back to haunt them. I don’t seem Türkgücü competing at the top rather more so towards the bottom. Despite a solid season last time out, Türkgücü will be more focused on staying in the league.
SC Verl (15th)
No other team (other than Havelse) has conceded more goals than Verl so far this season. Despite this, they’ve scored way more than the teams around them. So, this raises one question. Will they sort out their defence or will the goals dry up? Whatever the answer is could tell us where Verl’s season is heading. From what I’ve seen thus far, Verl are in for close cool with the bottom four. As long as their goalscoring continues, they’ll just have enough to stay in the league.
Würzburger Kickers (18th)
Recently relegated, Würzburger have to be careful or else they’ll suffer the same fate. Despite winning their last game, the Kickers still remain in the bottom two. There still is a long way to go of course but it looks like they’re in for a battle with everyone around them. They should have enough to get themselves out of trouble but that doesn’t guarantee you anything in this sport and in particular, this league.
FSV Zwickau (14th)
Won 3, drew 7, and lost 3. There are a few teams battling it out for the draw kings this season! Zwickau are clearly a team that is hard to break down but also struggle to find the back of the net. Just outside the relegation places by goal difference is what will be key for Zwickau this year. They won’t do anything near the top but that solid defence will keep them above the bottom four places.
Of course, we’re only just nearing the halfway stage of the season and much of the table can change. However, by looking deeper into a team’s performances, we can see patterns in their games appearing which in turn may give us a good indication as to where they might end up. We’ll continue to watch with intrigue as one of Germany’s most competitive leagues unravels.