SVWW narrow defeat to Champions in season finale
Pros |
SV Wehen Wiesbaden's first away fixture of 2020 comes when they travel to Hannover 96 on Saturday (1 February). The Red & Blacks will be hoping to build on the momentum from their Aue triumph in Lower Saxony. But speaking at the pre-match press conference, SVWW coach Rüdiger Rehm issued a warning: "We'll need to play to our absolute limit to get the right result there."
Personnel matters: Head coach Rüdiger Rehm will be suspended for Saturday's trip to Hannover 96. He will be joined on the sidelines by the also suspended captain Sebastian Mrowca, but otherwise the whole squad – aside from the long-term injury absentees – is available for selection.
The scenario: The home win over Erzgebirge Aue in the first match of the year saw the Red & Blacks pick up three important points. That successful start has created a positive mood in the camp, Rehm explained at the pre-match press conference on Thursday. "I was very satisfied with the opening stages; we showed straight from the off that we've got what it takes." The result on Tuesday evening lifted SVWW out of the automatic drop zone and into the relegation playoff place. But Rehm does not deem the current position in the table to be "the be-all and end-all". What matters now is to keep picking up points, he said.
The outlook: SVWW will be hoping for a "similar performance" to the one they put in against the Veilchen when they take on Hannover in their first away match of the year. "We want and need to be present from the start. We'll be up against a sizeable obstacle," said the head coach as he looked ahead to the meeting with the 96ers. Rehm has several options to fill Sebastian Mrowca's role. In the Aue match Sascha Mockenhaupt moved over to the flank, with Jakov Medic slotting into central defence. But Moritz Kuhn, who is now fully recovered, Marvin Ajani and Michael Guthörl are all viable alternatives too."
The opposition: The season is not quite going according to plan for the Lower Saxony side – but Rehm is aware of the quality in the squad, which includes several internationals and experienced Bundesliga players. The HDI Arena may only be half full at the weekend with 24,000 spectators set to attend, but the Red & Blacks' boss is looking forward to a "brilliant atmosphere", adding: "That doesn't make us nervous; it spurs us on." Approximately 200 SVWW fans will travel to Hanover to support their team.
Here's what Tobias Schwede had to say: "The mood is positive, as is usually the case after a victory. The training camp was an important building block for us; you could see that we grew even closer together as a team. I think you could see that on the pitch from the way we threw ourselves into it once down to 10 men – every one of us. That speaks volumes for the team; everyone knows it can only work if we play that way."
Man of the Match: As always, you have the opportunity to vote for your Man of the Match. Simply cast your vote in the Match Center on the SVWW website anytime between kick-off and midnight on the day of the game and win a shirt signed by the Man of the Match!