Elversberg – Hanover 96

The field owners will be closer to victory in the match against direct rivals.

Elversberg could have reached a historic peak in its development last year. The great coach Horst Steffen, who became a significant figure for this club and the entire city, first won the South-West Regional League and then the Third League from the 2021/2022 season onward, and in the last championship reached the play-offs for promotion to the Bundesliga. Unfortunately in the play-offs, Elversberg lost to Heidenheim on aggregate, and Horst Steffen left for a higher position without his beloved club, signing a contract with Werder Bremen. Vincent Wagner, who had previously managed Hoffenheim's second team, was appointed as the new head coach. Despite the coaching change, the club continued to follow the previously chosen strategy, which led them to first place in the league table before the last round. Although they lost the lead due to a defeat in Bielefeld, Elversberg remains one of the most stable clubs in the 2. Bundesliga and will host Hannover as the favourites for the match. Bookmakers, despite close odds on both opponents, have slightly leaned towards the home team. The guests have already been in the role of favourites in the current season of the 2. Bundesliga. Hannover has certainly missed the elite division. However, after a great start to the season, the 'Reds' began to stumble. Two home defeats to Schalke and Hertha, both with a score of 0:3, did not boost their confidence. Such results may indicate a psychological mismatch of the players with the tasks set. It will be difficult for the 'Reds' to achieve promotion while losing to their main competitors, especially without any glimmer of hope. In the last round, Hannover managed to win in Braunschweig, where they played with a numerical advantage from the 20th minute. Elversberg, in the last round, ended a four-match winning streak with a defeat in Bielefeld. Arminia scored two quick goals against them and managed to hold onto their lead until the final whistle. Last season, Elversberg beat Hannover twice with a score of 3:1, and in the season before that, both matches ended in a draw with the same score of 2:2. It is not in Elversberg's nature to lose to an upcoming opponent.