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Frankfurt on the rise, Mainz international, Offenbach in focus, Wehen with promotion chances
By Stephan Köhnlein – Upward trend at Eintracht, Mainz on European tour, two scandals in Offenbach and promotion hopes at SV Wehen Wiesbaden – this is how things currently look at the four other big clubs in the Rhine-Main area.
Frankfurt
Two home wins, a draw, and a narrow defeat against the seemingly invincible FC Bayern Munich – Eintracht Frankfurt has made a good start under new coach Albert Riera and remains in a promising position in the race for a place in a European competition. However, goalkeeper Kaua Santos will be unavailable for the time being. He suffered a medial collateral ligament injury in his knee during the 2-0 home win against SC Freiburg. Fortunately, the cruciate ligament is not affected this time. Just under a year ago, in the Europa League quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur, he suffered a cruciate ligament tear in his right knee during a collision. The Brazilian opted for conservative treatment, which is why he was able to return to the goal in the autumn.
Mainz
Mainz 05's fight to avoid relegation continues. In February, however, coach Urs Fischer's team managed to secure five out of a possible twelve points, including a home win against Augsburg and a draw away at Bayer Leverkusen. Furthermore, the Rhineland-Palatinate club is still competing in European competition. On March 12th and 19th, they will face Sigma Olomouc from the Czech Republic for a place in the Conference League quarterfinals. Mainz sporting director Christian Heidel commented on the draw: "Although Sigma Olomouc may not be from one of Europe's top leagues, they still deserve our utmost respect. They have a history of European competition and have already proven in the current Conference League season that they can be a tough and resilient opponent."
Offenbach
Kickers Offenbach secured their place in the Hessen Cup semi-finals with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over FSV Frankfurt. There, they will face SG Barockstadt Fulda-Lehnerz on March 24th, a team currently struggling at the bottom of the Regionalliga table. In their first league match of the year, OFC could only manage a 0-0 draw against Stuttgarter Kickers at the Bieberer Berg stadium, with Daniel Dejanovic receiving a red card. The match was also marred by racist abuse directed at Stuttgart's Black player, Melkamu Frauendorf, which both clubs condemned in a joint statement.
Wehen Wiesbaden
Third-division side SV Wehen Wiesbaden remains within reach of at least the promotion playoff spot. Among other achievements, they secured a resounding 6-1 victory over rivals MSV Duisburg. Furthermore, coach Daniel Scherning's team advanced to the Hessen Cup semifinals after a penalty shootout against fifth-division side FSV Fernwald. There, they will face sixth-division side Germania Ober-Roden. A potential final against Offenbach is a possibility.
Beyond the Lilies – News from Frankfurt, Mainz, Offenbach and Wehen
Stephan Köhnlein is the editor-in-chief of the independent online magazine Lilienblog, which focuses on SV Darmstadt 98. In this section, he takes a monthly look beyond the Lilies to the other football clubs in the Rhine-Main area.
