The 1. FC Köln wants to detrine Fortuna Düsseldorf in direct second division duel. The fans of the “goats” tuned their team on the derby on Saturday.
A explosive meeting throws its shadows ahead. Already at the final training on Saturday it could not be overlooked that 1. FC Köln was expecting anything but everyday game with the home game against Fortuna Düsseldorf. Members of the active fan scene had provided the training square at Geißbockheim with several posters, so that coach Gerhard Struber and his team were able to get an impression of what the Cologne supporters demand against the Rhenish rival on Sunday.
“Fight and passion from the cup game” was written on white underground in large red letters. The banner message referred to the Cup quarter-finals against Bayer Leverkusen, which had lost the second division after a strong performance in a dramatic way in an extension. On this derby, the FC fans had also attuned their team with numerous posters.
Against Düsseldorf, the motivating measure is now to have a committed appearance again – but with a happy ending. A victory in this prestigious duel would not only be crucial for the footballing conditions in the Rhineland, but also for the situation in the promotion race.
The term “six-point game” can be illustrated using the example of the derbies between FC and Fortuna: win the “billy goats”, remain the leader in front of Hamburger SV and have a very comfortable upholstery (six meters) for the moment) in Düsseldorf. However, if the team of F95 coach Daniel Thioune wins, Cologne is in the Rhenish comparison for the first time since the 15th matchday.
“This is a huge opportunity to break down a bit from Düsseldorf with a win-this is the clear goal-” says FC coach Struber and immediately warns: “But we must not think of the scenario.” With eleven outstanding games, it was too early for a preliminary decision anyway. “It will be a longer ride on the razor blade to get this safely to the port. We need endurance and staying power,” says the Austrian.
From a Cologne perspective, it is optimistic that the most recent Damion Downs and Learst Pacarada are candidates for the derby starting eleven. Both had a strain on the 0: 3 defeat against Magdeburg, but were able to contest the final training on Saturday without any recognizable problems. Downs and Pacarada were one of those actors who could look at the motivational banner up close.
So the 1st FC Köln could begin against Fortuna Düsseldorf: Schwäbe – Hübers, Schmied, Heintz – Gazibegovic, Kainz, Huseinbasic, Pacarada – Ljubicic, Maina – Downs