Two games still separate SV Elversberg from a possible promotion to the 1st Bundesliga – or maybe just one. Under certain circumstances, the people of Saarland could celebrate next weekend. A math game.
SV Elversberg can hardly be happier at the moment than on Sunday afternoon. With a 5-1 win at home at the Kaiserlinde, the Saarlanders made it clear where they were headed: 1st Bundesliga.
SV Elversberg is now in second place in the table with 59 pointsa direct promotion place. And now? “If we win both games, we’ll stay second. That’s higher mathematics,” jokes head coach Vincent Wagner in the SR interview.
What would have to happen for the SVE to be promoted on Sunday
However, in a special constellation, SV Elversberg could celebrate promotion as early as next Sunday: To do this, SVE would have to win their away game on Sunday at Fortuna Düsseldorf (kick-off at 1.30 p.m.). That is a basic requirement. Düsseldorf is currently fighting against relegation and is in 16th place.
Before that, it also comes down to the two direct competitors Hannover 96 and SC Paderborn, who are in third and fourth place with 58 points each. Paderborn will host Karlsruher SC on Friday evening from 6.30 p.m., Hannover will play at VfL Bochum on Saturday from 1 p.m.
If both Hanover and Paderborn lose their games, the SVE would be assured of early promotion with a win in Düsseldorf on Sunday. Even if both teams only play a draw, promotion would no longer be possible for SVE due to the better goal difference.
Stadium not an obstacle
In Elversberg, however, people think in a down-to-earth way. “If I fly too high, there is also a risk that if you crash, it will really hurt,” says SVE Vice President Swen Hoffmann. “From a perspective, we’re thinking game by game at the moment. We still have two games left.”
According to Hoffmann, the stadium construction site would not be an obstacle. “The stadium is also licensed for the first league. There are still one or two optimizations that need to be made, but these are all solvable issues such as optimizing the camera positions.”
If it is not enough for the SVE despite a possible win on Sunday, the decision will probably not be made until the last match day, May 17th. Then Elversberg hosts Preußen Münster, bottom of the table, and it starts at 3:30 p.m.
The current report from May 4th, 2026 also reported on this topic.
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First published: May 5, 2026 | 05:40
