SpVgg Greuther Fürth: The cloverleaf looks down

Even as the eight-minute stoppage time signaled, there was no hopeful murmur through the Ronhof. SpVgg Greuther Fürth was only one goal down and, with a possible equalizer, could have kept their direct rivals SSV Ulm nine points behind. With three games remaining, that would have been enough. But the 0-1 defeat now mathematically means that the Middle Franconian side could even be relegated from the second Bundesliga .

They could have prevented that with a win on Friday evening. But Ulm's Maurice Krattenmacher scored the goal of the match in the 63rd minute - and with great support from the Fürth team. The goalscorer was not challenged at all in midfield and was able to walk halfway across the pitch. His shot from the edge of the penalty area was then deflected unstoppably by a Fürth defender. That luck did not apply to Fürth. In the home team's best chance, a deflected shot only hit the crossbar after attacker Branimir Hrgota had elegantly created space for himself in the penalty area (68th minute). Because there were no big chances beyond that and Fürth were too inaccurate in the final third, the cloverleaf now has to look down again.

Since Ulm is a direct relegation rival, the defeat was particularly painful. The newly promoted team jumped into the relegation playoff spot with the win and is now only six points behind Fürth. Because Münster also picked up a point on Saturday, they are also still in direct danger of relegation. 17th place, where Prussia currently sits, is also only six points away. Therefore, Fürth still needs a point or two to stay in the league.

After the game, defender Niko Gießelmann was initially overcome by frustration over the defeat: "We simply weren't convincing enough. We should have made better use of more situations, especially with the quality we have." Coach Jan Siewert saw it similarly. Especially in the first 20 minutes, the team was "in control and came into the game very well," he said. After that, however, the pressure on goal dwindled, and Ulm did create a few chances. Ultimately, a deflected shot had to decide the game.

Although Siewert's team has everything in its own hands, the remaining schedule is challenging, with Hertha BSC, Hannover 96, and Hamburger SV. The coach recalls the first half of the season, when the club picked up an impressive six points from those three games. He remains confident: "I'll fight with the boys until the end, and we'll make it, even if no one believes in us anymore."

Faith also seems to be waning among the fans. After the final whistle, there was a loud chorus of whistles, and left-back Gießelmann got into a brief argument with a fan. The veteran, however, quickly put the matter to rest: "You can be critical, but I don't think it's okay to insult people. I told my teammate that, too. He was reserved." The 33-year-old is naturally dissatisfied with the general situation and sees "that we're right in the middle of it (in the relegation battle, ed.). We know that, and that we definitely need more points." These should come as early as Sunday in Berlin, if possible. Gießelmann is hoping for a different game and "more space that we can then use well." Fürth won the first leg 2-1, thus securing their first victory under Siewert.

He'll likely be on the bench at the Olympic Stadium, too. Even though the fans would have preferred to see it differently after the defeat against Ulm. They expressed their current dissatisfaction with chants of "Siewert out!" The football coach, however, was unfazed: "At this moment, I'd rather the fans were rooting for me than for the team." The fans, however, had also taken a hit with the aforementioned chorus of boos and, after the game, didn't dare go into the stands, but quickly disappeared into the locker room.

After five consecutive games without a win, the fans' discontent is understandable. Added to that is the weakness of the attack in recent matches. Just one goal in four games is simply not enough. So, the entire team has a lot to work on this week's training. Otherwise, a poor season could truly turn into a horrific one.