Matchday 13: Two tough tasks in the relegation battle, Bad Königshofen welcomes Grünwettersbach, Bremen travels to Grenzau
On the Saturday before last, 1. FSV Mainz 05 set an exclamation mark with their victory against Saarbrücken. Now the team welcomes third-placed Ochsenhausen. In midfield, Mühlhausen face Bergneustadt, Grünwettersbach travel to Bad Königshofen and Bremen welcome TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau. A preview of the 13th matchday in the German Table Tennis League (TTBL).
Post SV Mühlhausen - TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt
Post SV Mühlhausen and TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt will be the first to take to the rackets on this matchday on Thursday at 7 pm. Both have recently suffered defeats and are therefore keen to pick up their first points of the new calendar year. Bergneustadt lost 1:3 to TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell on January 5, who are in a constant relegation battle with the team from Mainz. A week later, TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen had recovered from their semi-final exit in the cup and won 3:1 against Post SV Mühlhausen. Only one win separates the two teams in the table. Mühlhausen are currently in fifth place in the TTBL with a points balance of 12:10, while Bergneustadt are in seventh place with 10:12 points. Points are therefore important for both teams to gain some breathing space.
TSV Bad Königshofen - ASV Grünwettersbach
Two days later, TSV Bad Königshofen will host the team from ASV Grünwettersbach. The last meeting between the two teams in December was a 3:1 win for TSV. Grünwettersbach will now be hoping for a chance to get revenge, not least because the last league game shortly before the cup final on January 4 was narrowly lost 3:2 to Grenzau. A win is important for Grünwettersbach, who currently reside in ninth place, in order to put some distance between themselves and the teams from Fulda and Mainz (both currently 4:10). Meanwhile, Bad Königshofen can take a more relaxed view of the game. The team has six wins and five defeats. Nevertheless, a win is also important for the club from Franconia to keep the upper hand in the fiercely contested middle of the table. The team led by Jin Ueda, Filip Zeljko and Bastian Steger recently won 3:0 against SV Werder Bremen. The match will be played on Saturday, January 27 at 7 p.m. in the Shakehands Arena in Bad Königshofen.
TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell - Borussia Düsseldorf
TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell, currently in tenth place in the league, will face a tough opponent on Sunday at 1 pm: The team welcomes record champions and cup winners Borussia Düsseldorf. The team from Fulda had temporarily taken the lead in the relegation battle with Mainz with a 3:1 win against Bergneustadt, but Mainz drew level again with its triumph over 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT. Nevertheless, Fulda can rely on their role as underdogs, as Borussia have yet to play a game this year. After the cup victory in Neu-Ulm, the trip to Fulda is the first opportunity to attack again in the TTBL. The team from Düsseldorf are still in first place in the league and could put two points between themselves and their rivals from Saarbrücken with a win.
1.FSV Mainz 05 - TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen
The Mainz team will also be up against an opponent from the top of the table as they welcome TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen, who are currently in third place in the league. Mainz should be well aware of how to hold their own against one of the top teams in the league since the last matchday at the latest, when they picked up important points with a 3:1 win against Saarbrücken. Nevertheless, Mainz are still under pressure in the direct duel with Fulda. Meanwhile, Ochsenhausen would like to secure third place. Whether they succeed in doing so will become clear when the first balls fly at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
SV Werder Bremen - TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau
The matchday is rounded off with the game between SV Werder Bremen and TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau. Although the two teams are four places apart, a defeat for Bremen would be enough to shake things up considerably in the table. Bremen will have to fight their way back to winning ways after their 3-0 defeat against Bad Königshofen at the beginning of January, while Grenzau can still draw on their 3-2 victory over Grünwettersbach. The last time the two teams met in the league was several months ago, with Bremen coming out on top 3:2 in October. Who will emerge victorious this time will be decided next Wednesday at 7pm.
Overview of the 13th matchday
Thursday, January 25
7 p.m.: Post SV Mühlhausen - TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt
Saturday, January 27
7 p.m.: TSV Bad Königshofen - ASV Grünwettersbach
Sunday, January 28
1 p.m.: TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell - Borussia Düsseldorf
4 p.m.: 1. FSV Mainz 05 - TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen
Wednesday, January 31
7 p.m.: SV Werder Bremen - TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau
All TTBL matches are broadcast live on Dyn.
Text: Julian Hörndlein
Featured image above: Luka Mladenovic from 1. FSV Mainz 05 (Photo: Mainz)