No Bundesliga, no problem - the Regionalliga is here!
For those who are missing their usual German league action this weekend, the Regionalliga has you covered.
Many football fans dislike the international break. Especially this time of year when leagues all around Europe are hotting up and starting to take shape. This international break, in particular, may seem dreary to most as many countries are all but qualified for next year’s World Cup.
However, fear not! There is still plenty of German football to look forward to over the weekend. Throughout every Regionalliga, there are many games that might pique your interest. You may not get the complete fluidity of a Bayern attack but many matches are entertaining nonetheless! Here is just a small selection of fixtures from the Regionalliga to wet your footballing whistle this weekend.
Regionalliga Nord
Altona 93 vs Eintracht Norderstedt (kick off 2pm local time)
On Sunday, Altona 93 host Eintracht Norderstedt. These two teams are both based within Hamburg and are just 17km apart. Altona aren’t having a particularly good season sitting bottom of Gruppe Nord on just 5 points. In contrast, Norderstedt are just two points outside the top 5 and will want to keep that pressure up. The boys from Altona have been somewhat the whipping boys this season, having only won once this league campaign. Norderstedt are unbeaten in their last eight and will be looking to get three points and a healthy goal difference on the board. If you want to see goals this weekend, this may be the game for you.
HSC Hannover vs Hannover 96 II (kick off 2pm local time)
The same day welcomes a derby as HSC Hannover take on Hannover 96 II. These two are separated by 5 points with HSC in 8th and Hannover II in 5th. Though 96 appear to be in a healthier position, they haven’t won a game in their previous four matches. HSC may not be setting the world alight but they’ll be up for this one. Their city neighbours may have the bigger name on paper but they’ll fancy their chances at home and against a struggling Hannover II. I think this will be a competitive match and an upset could be on the cards.
Regionalliga West
Rot-Weiß Essen vs Lotte (kick off 2pm local time)
Essen were unlucky not to secure promotion last season after going toe-to-toe with Dortmund II. However, that hasn’t stopped them this season. Currently two points clear at the top, RWE welcome a struggling Lotte on Saturday. Lotte find themselves in a bit of a mess at the minute and are currently sat 17th in the relegation zone. The last time Essen played a team in the bottom five, they ran out 11:0 winners! Uerdingen the unfortunate opponents that day. Lotte have only one win in their last eight in all competitions and it’s going to be a tall order if they’re to get anything here. I expect goals aplenty from the home side and an entertaining watch to boot!
Regionalliga Bayern
SpVgg Bayreuth vs TSV Aubstadt (kick off 2pm local time)
On Saturday, 2nd place Bayreuth host 7th position Aubstadt. After 21 games, it’s Bayreuth who are pushing Bayern II for that top spot. They’re currently one point behind them but have a game in hand. Bayreuth must build on their last league win (4:0 against Fürth II) and keep the pressure on Bayern. I mean, we can’t have all the Bayern teams winning everything, right? Aubstadt come into this fixture with no win in their last two but did manage a 3:3 draw against Bayern II last weekend. This should be an intriguing match-up with both teams needing a victory for different reasons.
These are just four examples of some of the great games happening throughout the Regionalliga this weekend. Many of the fixtures can be streamed online or are being broadcast on local television stations which can also be accessed via the internet. For example, teams near North Rhine-Westphalia sometimes have their matches shown on WDR.
The fourth tier of German football includes many traditional clubs as well as fairly new entities. If you ever get the chance to go to a game at this level, go for it! It may not have the glamour of the Bundesliga but you’ll often be surprised by the community spirit within these clubs.