1860 Munich look to get back to winning ways when they host Halle

1860 Munich vs Halle – Saturday, November 10, 13:00GMT/14:00CET – Grünwalder Stadion, Munich, Germany

1860 Munich vs Halle will take place at the Grünwalder Stadion in Munich (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Bongarts/Getty Images)

The world has not seen a game between 1860 Munich and Hallescher FC since the 1991/92 2.Bundesliga Süd season. That year the Bundesliga 2 was divided into two division to accommodate the newcomers from East Germany. The two leagues were divided into two groups of 12 clubs and all clubs played each other twice before both divisions were divided into the same relegation round and promotion round.

1860 and Halle were grouped in one division and finished in the bottom half of the table and as a result, played each other four times. At the end of the season, Halle were directly relegated and 1860 Munich was forced to play an additional three team round robin relegation group stage. In that group, 1860 finished second behind Fortuna Köln and ahead of TSV Havelse, which meant that ultimately 1860 were relegated to the Bayernliga (third division).

Visit the Grünwalder Stadion! Book your European football travel now by visiting Nickes.com!

Since then the clubs have gone their separate ways until they ended up in the same division for the first time in 26-years. 1860 Munich made their way to the third division after being dropped from Bundesliga 2 to the Regionalliga Bayern after investor Hasan Ismaik refused to pay the licence fee for Liga 3 following relegation in 2016/17.

An emotional season in the Regionalliga was followed with direct promotion to Liga 3 where 1860 have played a good role for a newly promoted side. Die Löwen have collected 18 points after 14 games and are tenth in the Liga 3 standings. But 1860 are not a normally promoted side, the expectations in Giesing are always high and there a few fans that are hoping that 1860 could perhaps slip into the top three already this season.

Among the top brass, however, promotion is not a goal this season. The club, however, is not quite ready for promotion yet. There are questions about the stadium and the finances of going up with the status of investor Ismaik still being unresolved.

Halle, in the meantime, are dreaming about promotion to Bundesliga 2. Halle have wholly restructured the squad during the summer and in Torsten Ziegler have hired a new coach. Despite signing 13 new players during the summer, Halle have found their chemistry right away collecting 23 points in their first 14 games and are even on points with third-placed SV Wehen-Wiesbaden.

Undefeated in three games Halle have the third-best defence in the league. “Everyone works together against the ball even the strikers go the distance to close attacking channels. The defensive midfield also does their job very well, which makes it easier for us,” defender Moritz Heyer told kicker. 

In other words, 1860 will face a difficult task at the Grünwalder Stadion on Saturday. Undefeated at home in three games 1860, however, have only won one of those three games (against Braunschweig). Die Löwen in many ways are overdue a win at home Halle, however, might be just to difficult to break down on Saturday.

1860 Munich vs Halle – Players to look out for:

Marco Hiller #1 – 1860 Munich

Marco Hiller started the season as the number two goalkeeper behind Hendrik Bonmann. But an injury to Bonmann in August has meant that Hiller has played nine out of 14 games this season. Hiller was one of the key players for 1860 last season but ahead of this season Bierofka decided to go with Bonmann, which was “a punch in the face,” for Hiller. “But I decided not to be down about it and work hard. Things can change fast in this business,” Hiller told die Tageszeitung this week. The keeper has conceded just nine goals in his nine starts this season. Bonmann is expected to return in the winter, but Hiller wants to convince Bierofka that he is the rightful number one in goal.

Goalkeeper Marco Hiller of 1860 Muenchen throws the ball during the 3. Liga match between SpVgg Unterhaching and TSV 1860 Muenchen at Alpenbauer Sportpark on September 26, 2018 in Unterhaching, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Bentley Baxter Bahn #7 – Hallescher FC

Bentley Baxter Bahn joined Halle from Zwickau in the summer. The attacking midfielder has scored three goals and six assists in his 14 games for Halle. But in recent weeks head coach Torsten Ziegner has used Bahn as a central midfielder. Whether that will be the case against 1860 remains to be seen, chances are, however, that Bahn will be delegated to play behind two nominal strikers in a 3-4-1-2 formation.

Bentley Baxter Bahn of Halle during the third Liga match between Hallescher FC and SC Fortuna Koeln at erdgas-Sportpark on August 04, 2018 in Halle, Germany. (Photo by Karina Hessland-Wissel/Bongarts/Getty Images)

1860 Munich vs Halle – Match Stats

• The two clubs met four times during the 1991/92 Bundesliga 2 Süd season. The two drew twice during the regular season and 1860 then beat Halle once and drew the other during the relegation rounds.
• Both Halle and die Löwen were relegated despite 1860’s positive record against Halle in the relegation round.
• 1860 München’s home record is W1 D1.

Futbolgrad Network Prediction:1860 Munich vs Halle – 1-1

1860 Munich vs Halle – Lineups

1860 Munich:

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Hiller – H. Paul, F. Weber. Si. Lorenz, Steinhart – Wein, Moll – Lex, Karger – Mölders, Grimaldi

Head Coach: Daniel Bierofka

Hallescher FC:

Formation: 3-4-1-2

K. Eisele – Lindenhahn, Heyer, Landgraf – Ajani, Washausen, Jopek, Manu – Bahn – Mai, Fetsch

Head Coach: Torsten Ziegner

Manuel Veth is the owner and Editor in Chief of the Futbolgrad Network. He also works as a freelance journalist and among others works for the Bundesliga and Pro Soccer USA. He holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in History from King’s College London, and his thesis is titled: “Selling the People’s Game: Football’s transition from Communism to Capitalism in the Soviet Union and its Successor States,” which is available HERE. Originally from Munich, Manuel has lived in Amsterdam, Kyiv, Moscow, Tbilisi, London, and currently is located in Victoria BC, Canada.  Follow Manuel on Twitter @ManuelVeth.