SpVgg Greuther Fürth and 1. FC Nürnberg will meet for the 272nd time. At least in the 2nd league the balance is almost balanced. And there are other similarities too. They want to achieve a groundbreaking victory with young forces.
Three defeats from the last three games – if you look at the numbers you might think that Greuther Fürth is on the verge of the Frankenderby (Sunday, February 25th, from 1:30 p.m. in the radio report and in the live ticker) deep in a playful crisis. But the defeats were all close – goals conceded shortly before the end of the game and suffered against strong teams. Nevertheless, this Franken derby can be a turning point in the season. If Fürth wants to stay in the promotion race, a win is necessary.
The Frankenderby is one trend-setting game
But the game against their eternal rivals is also extremely important for 1. FC Nürnberg, and not just for emotional reasons. The FCN is – like almost the entire season – stuck in the middle of the table: the gap to the relegation places for promotion and relegation is eight points. Winning or losing on Sunday could be a decisive factor in determining whether we look forward tremblingly downwards or dreaming upwards for the remaining eleven games of the season.
Nuremberg has only got three points from the last four games, as has Greuther Fürth. But the similarities between the Central Franconian teams don’t end there. Both teams are currently being inspired by their youngsters.
The youngsters of the FCN: From Uzun to Jeltsch
Fürth and Nuremberg have been increasingly relying on youth work for years – and that is currently bearing fruit. The name Can Uzun should now be known to football fans not only beyond the Nuremberg city limits. With 14 competitive goals and three assists, the 18-year-old homegrown player is currently probably the most important player in the FCN’s ranks.
Just last weekend, his remarkable goal secured the club a point. And that even though he hadn’t actually had his best day. So it’s no wonder that it’s not just Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Munich that are currently considering signing the super talent. Sevilla FC and Newcastle United are also said to be monitoring the offensive player.
It wouldn’t be surprising if you noticed one or two promising young stars while scouting in the Frankenderby. At 20 years old, Nathaniel Brown and Jens Castrop are undisputed regular players. With 17-year-old Finn Jeltsch, who impressed in his debut against FCK, as well as 21-year-old Jannik Hofmann, coach Christian Fiel has a lot of potential in his squad.
Sieb, Urbig, Dietz – youth play at Greuther Fürth
And in Fürth, too, a youngster is one of the most important goalscorers. Seven goals, three assists – Armindo Sieb played a key role in SpVgg Fürth’s good season. Cologne loanee Jonas Urbig makes an impressively calm impression in goal at 20 years old. Robert Wagner and Tim Lemperle, also loan players from Freiburg and Cologne, are among the undisputed regulars. Just like the American-born Maximilian Dietz (22), who is an important support in central defense and has hopes of being called up to the USA senior national team soon.
So in this sportingly and emotionally important Frankenderby, a lot depends on the youngsters of the two teams. The coaches have already proven that they are not afraid to trust their young players in big matches. And the sold-out Frankenderby is without a doubt one of those. After all, it’s not just about dominance in the region, but also about the circumstances under which the season will end and perhaps even promotion to league one.
League leadership and relegation battle, current fixtures, results and live ticker, top scorer lists, mileage and tackle statistics and much more: Football in the BR24Sport results center.
Source: BR24Sport February 25, 2024 – 1:30 p.m
