Last Monday evening, VfB convinced in the top-of-the-table clash with 1. FC Union Berlin, as Hannes Wolf’s men enthralled the fans with a deserved 3-1 victory. "As good as the win on Monday felt, we shouldn’t make too much of the result. Arrogance is often followed by a fall," warned Hannes Wolf at the pre-match press conference on Thursday. With four games to go in the campaign, the tension is rising in the race to claim the promotion places. VfB currently have a mere three-point advantage over the chasers from Braunschweig and Hanover, with fourth placed Union Berlin now six points adrift of the Cannstatt Boys. With the teams so close together, anything can happen in the remaining four matches – and every game provides its own specific challenges.
"Impressive support"
"The game against Berlin certainly won’t be a blueprint for the next task," insisted Wolf. The Wasenelf can expect a very different tie when they play 1. FC Nürnberg this Saturday (13:00 CET). "Berlin took us on in a possession oriented game. Nuremberg are battlers and will be looking to get stuck into the tackles," noted the VfB coach, whose men will have the challenge of developing intensity and fight against the club from the Franken region. "We’ll continue giving our all – in every area of the pitch. We have to maintain our mode and focus all of our energy on the remaining matches," stated Wolf. Unfortunately, Daniel Ginczek has not managed to maintain a healthy mode, with the striker unable to train on Thursday due to illness. As to whether he can play a part on Saturday remains to be seen.
For the penultimate away game of the campaign, the Wasenelf can rely on the support of some 15,000 travelling fans. "The support is very impressive – particularly as our fans really got behind us during phases when things weren’t going so well," remarked Hannes Wolf, adding: "We want to inspire our supporters and give them something to cheer about this Saturday."
