TIME TO END AWAY HOODOO
Saturday, 27. June 2020, 12:28 Uhr
The Boys in Brown go to next-to-bottom Wehen Wiesbaden on the final day of the 2019-20 season on Sunday (15:30 CET). Jos Luhukay's side secured their league status with a 1-1 draw against Jahn Regensburg last week and after a campaign with highs and lows travel south looking to end their barren away run and sign off into the summer break on a positive note.
After a coronavirus hiatus which began in mid-March and seemed to go on for an eternity, it all went very quickly when the league eventually did restart in mid-May, leaving the Boys in Brown facing their final game of the season at Wehen Wiesbaden on Sunday. It had the potential to be a dramatic finale, with the two clubs battling it out in a relegation decider, but what was still possible last week thankfully failed to materialise.
While the Boys in Brown can begin planning for their tenth successive season in the second tier after the 1-1 draw against Jahn Regensburg last Sunday, Wehen Wiesbaden are left with only a theoretical chance of avoiding the dreaded drop to the third after just one season at this level. The home side would have to wipe out a three-point and 12-goal gap to Karlsruher SC tomorrow to claw their way into 16th place and the relegation play-off spot. For that to happen, Wiesbaden, who are without suspended striker Manuel Schäffler (19 goals this season), would need to rack up a big win over Jos Luhukay's side and hope Karlsruhe crash heavily at Fürth at the same time.
The Boys in Brown, for whom Jan-Philipp Kalla may run out for the final time, cannot influence the latter and will be keen to avoid the thrashing Wiesbaden are targeting. On the contrary, they are determined to end an up-and-down season on a high by finally ending their away hoodoo, having not won a competitive fixture outside Hamburg since the 1-0 victory at SC Paderborn on 2 March 2019. 'Give your all one more time' is the rallying call on Sunday, then.
Photo: Witters
