"Lions" with a "touch of derby"
TSV 1860 Munich want to put their sobering cup exit behind them with a reaction in the 3rd Football League. "It's important that we put the game behind us," said coach Maurizio Jacobacci on Friday. Their opponents on Saturday (2 p.m.) will be neighboring club SpVgg Unterhaching at the Grünwalder Stadion.
The "Lions" were surprisingly eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Bavarian Toto Cup against fifth-division side FC Pipinsried. As a result, the Munich club missed out on a chance to qualify for the first round of next year's DFB Cup via the state cup. Haching had already been eliminated one round earlier.
Jacobacci had "one or two conversations" with the players during the week. In training itself, they concentrated on the essentials. "We analyzed the opponent well and are suitably prepared to give 100% on Saturday," said the Swiss coach. He will have to do without Joël Zwarts.
He has drawn his conclusions from the weak performance against Pipinsried, said Jacobacci. "In training itself, we focused on Unterhaching."
Haching are playing a good season and are placed ahead of the "Lions". The club is in sixth place with 22 points. Munich are in twelfth place with 20 points.
"For me, it's a bit of a derby. There are no favorites in games like this," said Jacobacci. "Like every other game, we want to win this one too. To do that, we need mentality and passion, we have to show a fighter's heart. Those are the virtues we need."
The promoted team from Unterhaching knows what to expect. "In the end, we're not playing against eleven, but against 13,500 spectators," said head coach Marc Unterberger. "It will be an explosive match." According to "Kicker", Boipelo Mashigo is ill and youngster Maurice Krattenmacher is out with an injury.
TSV 1860 Munich will face SpVgg Unterhaching in the 3rd league, aiming to bounce back from their disappointing cup exit. The Munich club's opponent, currently placed ahead in the league, had an early exit in the same cup competition.
Coach Maurizio Jacobacci mentioned that the game against Unterhaching holds a "derby" feel for him, emphasizing the importance of mentality, passion, and a fighter's heart to secure a victory.
Source: www.dpa.com
