Einmal Löwe, immer Löwe - a(nother) 1860 story

[Dalbeider]

Mar 7th 2026

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (12th) vs. TSV 1860 München (8th) (Bundesliga, 26/34)

Three quarters of the league season done and dusted after today's trip to Hoffenheim, and we still are battling it in the noble zone of the table. Hoffenheim are doing a bit better than last year, when they struggled to survive until the very end, but are still nine points behind us and in the middle of a no-man's land, neither close enough to Europe nor seriously threatened by relegation. A win here would be massive for our European dreams, that's for sure.

* * *

HOFFENHEIM (4-4-2): Vladan Kovacevic (GK); Kilian Fischer (DR), Stefan Posch (DCr), Igor (DCl), Yannick Gerhardt (DL); Andreas Skov Olsen (MR), Nadiem Amiri (MCr), Angelo Stiller (MCl), Roland Sallai (ML); Andi Zeqiri (STr), Kevin Volland (STl)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Josha Vagnoman (DL); Urko (DM), Erik Majetschak (MCr), Antonio Entrena (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Felix Nmecha (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

Rotation once again after our cup win, this time with Lang and Kretzschmar returning to the lineup after their recent injuries, with Hadzic also making the bench and having a good chance of playing in the second half in Lang's place. Hoffenheim retain their usual 4-4-2, although replacing Kramaric upfront with one of our former players, Volland. We face one of the most even starts in recent games, with both teams pushing the pressing lines high, but in our first approach to Kovacevic's goal Entrena decides to just unleash a powerful and precise shot from 25 yards away and rip a new one in Hoffenheim's net, giving us our recently customary early lead.

Hoffenheim keep pushing hard, but that leaves them open to long passes, and Sapmaz finds Entrena with one of those leading to a dangerous chance that Kovacevic barely manages to keep out of his goal. Their response is a cross from the left that Skev Olsen heads into Kretzschmar's save, which we answer with a similar cross from Gerometta to Nmecha, who mishits his volley and fails to beat the keeper. Zeqiri follows this up with a quick run to the center that's denied in the end by Stjepanovic blocking his finish with a last-second tackle, then Igor heads a corner kick over. A very entertaining game so far.

The attacking trend continues part the half-hour mark with a high shot from the edge of the box by Vagnoman, and in the 37th Entrena once again runs into space free of mark and collects a long pass from Gerometta, only to shoot narrowly wide to the right of the target. The first half ends with a fantastic reflex save by Kretzschmar, blocking with one hand a point-blank header by Zeqiri in injury time, then Majetschak heading wide a deep set piece sent into the box by Urko. Still ahead, but only just.

HALF TIME - 0-1

In stark contrast, the second half starts with no chances at all for the first fifteen minutes. A blocked finish by Lang in a set piece is the most exciting piece of action to happen before the substitutions start rolling, with Sapmaz and Vagnoman making way for Maldini and Sánchez. Then, almost immediately, Hoffenheim create a passing play to the center that reaches Wolf as he cuts in from the right, and after beating Kretzschmar one on one the right winger scores the 1-1.

The home team try to catch wind in their sails and push for a second, and soon Kretzschmar has more work to do to stop and catch a header by Zeqiri in a corner kick. We answer once again through Entrena breaking through the defense like a knife through butter, but also once again failing to find the target and shooting over the bar this time. Miranda then replaces a tired Majetschak as we head into the final twenty minutes with the match still up in the air.

Rijkhoff has been pretty quiet today, and his first chance of the game after a low cross by Maldini doesn't fare much better, not even reaching the keeper as Igor gets there first to block. Gerometta picks his fifth yellow and now faces a suspension in our next match against HSV, and the minutes keep ticking away, with play tense but not particularly sharp on either end of the field. We reach injury time like that, but then Gerometta loses the ball in a dangerous position, Gerhardt sends a cross into the box, and substitute striker Waldschmidt appears to hit the back of the net and score the 2-1. There's no time to react, and we fall to our first defeat in a long time.

* * *

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 2 (Marius Wolf 64, Luca Waldschmidt 90+1)
TSV 1860 München 1 (Antonio Entrena 8)

- - -

Okay, that one hurt. The match was very even and a draw was a fair result, so I wasn't expecting to be gut punched in the last second like that. A shame, too, because we had enough chances to extend our lead early, particularly through Entrena, who always found himself free to run into the box today with no one tracking him. Oh well, we owed karma a few points, I guess.

* * *

| Pos | Inf   | Team                | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | GD    | Pts   | Form  | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 1st |       | FC Bayern           | 26    | 19    | 3     | 4     | 85    | 19    | 66    | 60    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 2nd |       | Borussia Dortmund   | 26    | 19    | 3     | 4     | 68    | 19    | 49    | 60    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 3rd |       | Freiburg            | 26    | 15    | 3     | 8     | 43    | 26    | 17    | 48    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 4th |       | RB Leipzig          | 26    | 15    | 1     | 10    | 53    | 34    | 19    | 46    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 5th |       | Bayer Leverkusen    | 26    | 13    | 7     | 6     | 46    | 37    | 9     | 46    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 6th |       | Hertha BSC          | 26    | 13    | 6     | 7     | 33    | 24    | 9     | 45    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 7th |       | Borussia M'gladbach | 26    | 14    | 2     | 10    | 36    | 29    | 7     | 44    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 8th |       | Köln                | 26    | 12    | 6     | 8     | 42    | 36    | 6     | 42    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 9th |       | 1860 München        | 26    | 12    | 6     | 8     | 44    | 40    | 4     | 42    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 10th|       | Hoffenheim          | 26    | 11    | 3     | 12    | 31    | 38    | -7    | 36    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 11th|       | Frankfurt           | 26    | 9     | 7     | 10    | 39    | 44    | -5    | 34    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 12th|       | Hamburg             | 26    | 11    | 1     | 14    | 34    | 48    | -14   | 34    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 13th|       | Stuttgart           | 26    | 9     | 6     | 11    | 22    | 35    | -13   | 33    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 14th|       | Nürnberg            | 26    | 7     | 4     | 15    | 26    | 46    | -20   | 25    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 15th|       | Arminia Bielefeld   | 26    | 6     | 5     | 15    | 26    | 49    | -23   | 23    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 16th|       | Fortuna Düsseldorf  | 26    | 5     | 5     | 16    | 17    | 48    | -31   | 20    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 17th|       | Augsburg            | 26    | 5     | 3     | 18    | 26    | 50    | -24   | 18    |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 18th|       | Hannover 96         | 26    | 1     | 5     | 20    | 13    | 62    | -49   | 8     |       | 
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 

Down one place since we last saw the whole table, but somehow I feel like we're closer than ever to the European dream. Other than the two-pronged fight for the title at the very top, the battle for the European places is wide open, with only six points between us and Freiburg at third place, for example. With so many teams involved it's inevitable that at least some of them will enter slumps in the remaining games, and we should be there ready to collect their proverbial corpses and climb on top. We only need two of them for it to be worth it. Regardless, our goal this season was to avoid relegation, and that's basically guaranteed by this point, so no matter what happens we can be happy.

The only thing that seems clear in the table right now is that Hannover are going down. One point in their last nine fixtures is nowhere close to enough to give them any hope of survival, even more considering Augsburg seem to be improving slightly and might actually have a good chance at escaping the drop. Their potential targets are few, though, with only Fortuna, Arminia, and Nürnberg within reach. At the top the battle for the title remains wide open, with only goal difference tilting the balance towards Bayern's side right now. Any dropped points from now on have the potential to be decisive.

* * *

PLAYER STATS
============

Average rating (min. 9 games played):

Niklas Lang               7.22 (23 apps)
Daniel Maldini            7.17 (20(3) apps)
Julian Rijkhoff           7.15 (18(9) apps)
Antonio Entrena           7.14 (18(5) apps)
Darko Vuskovic            7.13 (17 apps)

Special mention to Amer Hadzic, with a 7.40 average rating after 4 apps.

Goals:

Julian Rijkhoff           14 goals
Daniel Maldini            12
Matías Miranda            7
Nahuel Bustos             7
Antonio Entrena           6

Assists:

Shiloh 't Zand            7 assists
Francisco Gerometta       5
Daniel Maldini            5
Erik Majetschak           5
Antonio Entrena           4
Matías Miranda            4

 

[Dalbeider]

Mar 8th 2026

DFB Pokal semifinal draw: Bayern-RB Leipzig, 1860-Hertha. We can be happy with this outcome, particularly the fact that we get to play the match at home. Hertha are generally a bit stronger than Leipzig this season, but I still rate my chances of getting through this. Most importantly, we dodged Bayern and now they have to deal with the current champions if they want to reach the final. Would've been ideal if they played away from home but hey, I'll take what I can get.

Mar 11th 2026

Both Kretzschmar and Rijkhoff show up to training today with a serious case of the sniffles. Both are immediately sent back home to recover and to avoid spreading it to the rest of the squad. They should be healthy for the weekend, but only just.

Mar 14th 2026

TSV 1860 München (9th) Vs. Hamburger SV (12th) (Bundesliga, 27/34)

HSV look set to repeat last season's success with a safe mid-table position, although there's a certain feeling of stagnation and lack of progress, at least when compared with our noticeable improvement. Still, they've done well to consolidate themselves in the division so quickly after spending a few years in the 2.Bundesliga, and we've always had trouble whenever we've played them, so they have to be respected.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Antonio Entrena (MCr), Matías Miranda (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Shiloh 't Zand (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)
HSV (4-2-3-1): Daniel Heuer Fernandes (GK); Shurandi Sambo (DR), Jamie Lawrence (DCr), Sebastian Schonlau (DCl), Andrii Buleza (DL); Ron Schallenberg (MCr), Ludovit Reis (MCl); Xavier Amaechi (AMR), Ömer Beyaz (AMC), Farine Alidou (AML); Kevin Schade (ST)

* * *

Almost full team rotation from our lineup against Hoffenheim with Stjepanovic, Entrena, and Kretzschmar as the only exceptions. Meanwhile HSV only have a couple of new faces in their starting eleven since our previous meeting, so we know what to expect. It doesn't take us long to start controlling the match, although with little threat generation in the first minutes of the game. Maldini is the first to try after a first-touch combination with Vagnoman down the right, finding Heuer Fernandes' hands in the way of his finish, but then HSV make their first approach of the game through Amaechi on the right, who sends a low cross to Schade so the striker can hit the back of the net on his first try, somewhat due to Kretzschmar's less than ideal positioning. Not cool.

We continue playing as we were, soon having a chance for a quick draw in a corner kick that Hadzic heads straight into the keeper's hands. Second try is the good one, following a throw-in on the right wing and a quick passing play which Vuskovic ends with a measured cross towards Bustos on the far post, headed in by the striker in a somewhat dubious but still legal position. HSV answer with a corner kick of their own, headed over by Schallenberg, which we follow up with a low cross from 't Zand to Bustos that the Argentinian sends wide by inches from a perfect position to score. Things slow down after that, though, although we still maintain the strongest momentum.

A dangerous header by Bustos inside the small box that deflects away from a defender's back is our next approach, already well within the final ten minutes of the half. We follow that up with a great cross by Maldini towards the rampaging Miranda, who finds a gap to sneak through but can't get his shot past the keeper, which is the same fate met by our last chance of the half, a point-blank finish by Entrena after a pass back by Bustos that Heuer Fernandes tips wide with a great save. All square at half time.

HALF TIME - 1-1

We start the second half in spectacular fashion: great long pass by 't Zand into space for Bustos to run into, and the striker finishes it with a beautiful lob over the keeper that ends up bouncing on top of the crossbar and over. We deserve to take the lead already, but after a while without any further chances we bring in some fresh legs in Majetschak and Nmecha, and finally Rijkhoff replaces an excellent but very tired Maldini, moving Bustos to the wing. Not much changes, though, and after such an exciting first half the second is a complete bore bereft of any danger on either goal outside of that first chance. 

It takes until the 85th minute for something to happen, and that's a combination between Schade and substitute Forson (yes, that Forson) which the striker ends with another lob over Kretzschmar, this one cleared off the line by Stjepanovic just as it was about to roll over. The keeper then gets to save a dangerous-looking header by Opoku after a cross by Buleza, as it looks like HSV are trying to take over the game in the final minutes. Said and done: Forson runs into the box after a pass by Buleza and falls to Vagnoman's tackle: penalty kick, and Schade scores the 1-2 from the spot with only seconds on the clock. There's no time to recover, and we stumble to a very undeserved defeat, our first home loss in a very long while.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 1 (Nahuel Bustos 23)
Hamburger SV 2 (Kevin Schade 17 90p)

- - -

Tough luck. We deserved to be clearly ahead after the first half, but the second was a complete no-show outside of that woodwork hit by Bustos. And then a last-minute penalty just to rub it in, ugh. HSV keep giving us trouble whenever we play them, no matter the division, and Schade is slowly becoming an absolute nightmare for us, not to mention Forson, who came off the bench to give us a taste of what he didn't provide for us last season, as expected. This puts a huge damper in our European dreams, but there's still time to fix it. Elsewhere, Dortmund's defeat in Köln allows Bayern to take a three point lead at the top. I've seen this movie before...

[Dalbeider]

Mar 17th 2026

Vagnoman is selected in the Team of the Week despite giving up that penalty which condemned us against HSV. Shows how good his game was otherwise.

Mar 18th 2026

It's time for international callups again, with both Hadzic and Stjepanovic making their respective senior teams, plus our usual host of youth internationals.

Mar 21st 2026

Sport-Club Freiburg (3rd) vs. TSV 1860 München (9th) (Bundesliga, 28/34)

Last call for any Europe hopefuls. Freiburg's third place looks scary on paper, but they're actually only six points ahead of us and could even drop completely out of the European places with a defeat. More importantly, we need to snap out of this losing streak before it gets any longer, otherwise the distance will become too big to overcome, even more considering some of the fixtures we have remaining. Key game.

* * *

FREIBURG (4-2-3-1): Peter Gulácsi (GK); Hugo Siquet (DR), Eric Martel (DCr), Dario Maresic (DCl), Christian Günter (DL); Niklas Dorsch (MCr), Maximilian Eggestein (MCl); Edon Zhegrova (AMR), Matías Palacios (AMC), Lars Kehl (AML), Marko Richter (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Josha Vagnoman (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Erik Majetschak (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Felix Nmecha (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)

* * *

Gerometta returns after his absence due to suspension, while Stjepanovic rests this week for the same reason and Bustos retains the starting place up front due to his improved form as of late, and also because Rijkhoff is in a bit of a slump. Freiburg have just a couple of minor touch ups to their usual starting eleven, and they start the game with a dangerous counterattack finished by Palacios and forcing Kretzschmar into his first good save of the night. It takes us a bit until we turn our better possession rate into something tangible, which in the end is a high shot by Miranda after a touch from Maldini. Still, we seem to be holding our own for now.

Freiburg soon take the ball away from us and start pushing higher on the pitch, although with little to show for it to begin with. That changes in the 26th minute when Eggestein finds Siquet unmarked inside the box after a long play down the right wing and the full back scores placing his shot close to the near post, again Kretzschmar's fault for not covering the gap correctly. A badly high finish by Richter follows while we try and regain control of the situation, but instead we get a short-lived second punch to the gut when Kehl scores after a great pass by Dorsch, thankfully from a correctly spotted offside position. After that, nothing: we can't seem to get the ball out of our own half, and Freiburg can't find another gap to create more trouble for us. Down at the break and not looking too good.

HALF TIME - 1-0

Five minutes into the second half and Majetschak commits a quite rough passing mistake, handing the ball in a silver plate to Palacios so he can assist Richter for an extremely easy finish, and suddenly we're two down. Kretzschmar saves a header by Zhegrova two minutes later, just as we start trying new things with Entrena and Rijkhoff entering the game. Sapmaz also joins in a bit later, replacing Nmecha and moving Maldini to the left for a bit of an experiment. 

After that, a whole lot of nothing for over twenty minutes, leading to a chance for Richter on the break that Kretzschmar and Lomónaco deny, already in the 82nd minute. The keeper deflects wide another good opportunity for Palacios three minutes later, then Martel heads the corner kick over while we seem to just be wishing the game over already. Rijkhoff scores in the 90th but it gets called out for Maldini's offside position on the previous touch, and that's all she wrote. Not our finest hour, that's for sure.

* * *

Sport-Club Freiburg 2 (Hugo Siquet 26, Marco Richter 50)
TSV 1860 München 0

- - -

Nope, not looking good. It was also our worst performance since the turn of the year at the very least, completely incapable of doing anything worth mentioning in attack all game long. Of course the result is terrible for any hopes of climbing further up on the table, but we'll have to worry about not sinking further down if we don't improve fast. Leipzig come next.

At least there's one piece of good news today: we're mathematically saved from relegation six weeks before the end of the season. That's a success already, even if it was a given since months ago. Meanwhile, Bayern drop two points in a 1-1 draw at Leipzig and Dortmund take the chance to cut their deficit to just one point. The Bundesliga title race is still very much alive.

[Dalbeider]

Mar 26th 2026

Forty-five minutes for Hadzic with Bosnia & Herzegovina in a 0-1 friendly defeat against Ecuador. Solid performance, but little else.

Mar 27th 2026

Minor injury for Sapmaz in training, but still a stubbed toe might be enough to keep him out of our next match. He should miss about a week.

Mar 28th 2026

More serious is Urko's twisted ankle just one day later, which will keep him out of contention for three to four weeks. He'll still make it to the final fixtures of the Bundesliga and perhaps to the cup semifinals, but only just.

Mar 29th 2026

Another half-game performance for Hadzic with Bosnia, but this time it's on a 0-2 win over Estonia and the youngster even got himself a goal, his first in only four caps. Stjepanovic also played a few minutes near the end of Serbia's 1-0 win over Iran.

Mar 31st 2026

The NxGn list for 2026 was announced today, and while the focus will go on the eventual winner, Toluca's 19yo striker Omar Navarrete, I'm chuffed about finding two of my players, Vuskovic and Hadzic, making the list in the 34th and 39th positions. Shows we're doing a good job in building for the future, at the very least.

Meanwhile, in the training ground, Bustos joins the injury list with a pulled groin and will remain there for at least five days, making him a very likely absence against Leipzig.

Apr 4th 2026

TSV 1860 München (9th) vs. RasenBallsport Leipzig (6th) (Bundesliga, 29/34)

Funny how this game actually looks more difficult than the previous one against Freiburg, but Leipzig are actually a bit closer to us on the table, and are the gateway into Europe as things stand. Not that it makes this match any easier, even more considering they just stole a draw from Bayern, but still. Let's see what we can do today.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Josha Vagnoman (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Antonio Entrena (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Shiloh 't Zand (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
RB LEIPZIG (4-2-3-1): Alexander Nübel (GK); Wilfried Singo (DR), Kamil Piatkowski (DCr), Felix Uduokhai (DCl), Angeliño (DL); Moisés Caicedo (MCr), Jakub Moder (MCl); Fabio Carvalho (AMR), Dani Olmo (AMC), Musa Barrow (AML); Patson Daka (ST)

* * *

Bustos makes the bench in the end, although he's still not one hundred percent healthy. Leipzig have switched to the ubiquitous 4-2-3-1 under Manuel Baum, although the pieces in play remain mostly the same. The game looks even in the initial minutes, but it's Caicedo who starts the battle for real with a piledriver from 20 yards away that hits the crossbar over Kretzschmar and bounces clear. Carvalho then cuts in from the right to assist Barrow inside the box, and the keeper has to go down and perform his usual magic to keep the game tied. Leipzig slowly take control of the game, both territorially and possession-wise, and Daka almost turns that domination into a lead by accident when Kretzschmar completely misses a cross from the right and the ball bounces first on the striker's head, then on the crossbar once again.

It was coming, and in the 16th minute Daka gives Leipzig the lead with a beautiful curler from outsider the box, hit with the outside of his right foot for extra style points. Kretzschmar soon saves an easy shot from Olmo, but can't do anything in the 23rd when Uduokhai finds himself unmarked inside the box in a set piece and just rifles it in once Olmo gets the ball to him. And it could be worse, but thankfully Singo blasts over a wonderful chance for the third with Kretzschmar scrambling to get back into position after a failed clearance by Lang.

We don't get a shot on goal until the 39th minute, and it's a direct free kick that Maldini smashes into the fence, so it almost doesn't count. Otherwise, the best we can say is that at least we regain some degree of control of the ball and that Leipzig don't really threaten us any more until the first half ends, but that's nowhere close to good enough.

HALF TIME - 0-2

Even our luck is terrible today: Lang does really well to intercept a dangerous pass towards the inside of the box, but Barrow just tracks back, gets the ball, then shoots low and placed from distance to score the 0-3 as if it was nothing. With nothing to lose anymore we decide to just bring the kids in and hope for the best, and Sapmaz, Hadzic, and Ulrich all enter the game early in the second half. Not much immediate improvement, though, and it's only because Daka's aim betrays him that Leipzig don't score the fourth just a few minutes later in one of two consecutive chances, the second after stealing the ball from Hadzic himself.

What I said before about luck applies double to our first real chance of the game: great through ball by Entrena towards Rijkhoff, and the striker beats Nübel with his finish but sends the ball into the woodwork. That seems to give us a bit of a boost, and soon Sapmaz has another following a long ball into space from Sánchez, although this time it's Leipzig's keeper who denies us. Third time's not the charm either, as Entrena shoots wide with his left foot after a good passing play down the left. By now we're already in the final stretch, though, and Leipzig just let us bang our heads against their wall without any further prizes being awarded, and the game ends soon after in a clear and deserved defeat, four on the trot.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 0
RasenBallsport Leipzig 3 (Patson Daka 16, Felix Uduokhai 23, Musa Barrow 49)

- - -

Another stinker to add to the pile. At least our first two defeats in this streak were narrow and hard-fought, and we actually deserved more in them. The last two? Nah, nowhere close. Horrid game for our forward line in general and Vagnoman in particular, while our midfield at least put up a fight. The improvement in the second half was mostly because Leipzig had the game well in hand and relaxed, I'm sure. Oh well, we've certainly improved this year but it's obvious Europe is still a dream for us. We'll focus on finishing as high on the table as we can, prize money is still important.

Bayern drop points once again, this time in a much more surprising 0-0 home draw against Eintracht, and once again Dortmund say thank you very much and regain the top of the table with a 3-0 win over Stuttgart. Funnily enough, Bayern won't play next week as their game in Leverkusen got posponned to later in the month, so it'll be a good chance for Dortmund to build a bigger lead and increase the pressure on the perennial champions.

[Dalbeider]

Apr 5th 2026

Once again a disappointing youth intake this year. The best talents to make the U19 squad are attacking midfielder Markus Kurt and right back Mathias Buchmann, although neither is looking anywhere close to a future superstar. There's a few other solid-looking players, but their chances of ever making the first team in the Bundesliga are extremely close to zero.

Apr 6th 2026

Another minor injury for Bustos, bruised thigh this time, which once again will keep him out of the game for about a week, and thus makes him a tough fit for our next match.

Apr 8th 2026

And down goes another important player: Vagnoman will miss three to four weeks with a hamstring strain, which puts him out of the cup semifinals and leaves us with only two first-team full backs for a decent while.

Apr 11th 2026

Eintracht Frankfurt (11th) vs. TSV 1860 München (9th) (Bundesliga, 30/34)

Time to forget about Europe and to start defending our current place, and today brings a direct duel precisely for that: Eintracht are three points behind, and a win would put them ahead of us on goal difference, not to mention that another defeat would give Hoffenheim the chance to overtake us, too. We're also only eleven days away from the DFB Pokal semis, so breaking out of our current funk is more imperative than ever.

* * *

EINTRACHT (4-2-3-1): Ramón Juan (GK); Jordan Lotomba (DR), Marvin Friedrich (DCr), Jackson Porozo (DCl), Matthew Sorinola (DL); Lewis Cook (MCr), Djibril Sow (MCl); Bryan Mbeumo (AMR), Maurits Kjaergaard (AMC), André Franco (AML); Datro Fofana (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Erik Majetschak (MCr), Antonio Entrena (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Felix Nmecha (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

Yet another new manager in Thorsten Fink, yet another team that switches to a 4-2-3-1. We haven't done particularly well against it lately, but on paper it's not a bad matchup for us. Somewhat surprisingly we start attacking, with Sapmaz crossing for an early header by Nmecha that Ramón Juan catches with ease. We keep pushing afterwards, soon creating another chance for Rijkhoff through a good pass by Entrena that the striker sends straight to the keeper. However, our best minutes in the last month or so end abruptly when Eintracht create their first attack through Mbeumo, who sends a perfect cross for Kjaergaard's unstoppable header and the 1-0. We really can't catch a break.

Our good play continues, though, and soon Majetschak has another dangerous finish blocked by Sow when he looked set to score the 1-1. A weak shot by Sapmaz follows, too easy for Ramón Juan, and in the 23rd the young winger has an even better chance following a great assist by Majetschak that he blasts well over the bar. Nmecha comes next with a wide curling shot from the edge of the box, very inside forward-like, which Eintracht answer with their first approach since their goal, a wide long shot by Cook. Much more dangerous is Sow's header in the 31st minute, block by Kretzschmar with a single hand in a great show of reflexes.

The home team seem to regain a measure of control in the final fifteen minutes of the half, creating another good-looking chance through Kjaergaard, who misses the target by inches with his low shot. In the 40th minute the attacking midfielder has another after Stjepanovic fails to intercept a pass by Mbeumo, and this time Kjaergaard finds the customary gap between Kretzschmar and the near post to slot the ball into the net for the 2-0. The keeper makes up for it by stopping Fofana from scoring in a quick counter immediately after, and we end the half with a high and wide shot by Entrena, nothing particularly dangerous for Eintracht's goal. Better play, but same result.

HALF TIME - 2-0

Once again we start the second half looking good and creating danger, this time starting with a high ball by Majetschak following a good low cross by Nmecha, which we follow with a great through ball by Entrena to Sapmaz, who once again is unlucky with his finish and hits the post instead of the back of the net. Once again Eintracht hit us back when we're playing our best, too, although this time Kretzschmar manages to close the usual near post gap with a good save to prevent Franco's goal. Bustos and Maldini replace Sapmaz and Rijkhoff a bit later, hoping that they'll have better luck with their aim.

Another great assist by Entrena goes to waste in the 63rd after Majetschak mishits his finish and sends it badly wide, a mistake that prompts Miranda's substitution in his place. The Argentinian starts his game with a good one-two with Maldini, who shoots wide with his bad left foot, then follows it up with a good assist for Bustos who finds his finish stopped by the keeper with some help from Porozo. In the 77th minute we finally hit payday, with who else but Entrena providing the assist from deep and Miranda finishing it in style with a sidestep and a good shot. There's still hope.

By now we're practically living in Eintracht's half, and the home team focus all their efforts on defending and getting rid of the ball as quickly as possible. Yet one of those clearances performed by Friedrich finds its way to Fofana, and the striker nudges his way past Stjepanovic to score the 3-1 and crush our just-regained hopes. It could've been worse if Franco had hit net instead of wood in a counterattack in injury time, which would've been an absolutely ridiculous final score given how the game went. Not like the real one is much better, though...

* * *

Eintracht Frankfurt 3 (Maurits Kjaergaard 13 41, Datro Fofana 83)
TSV 1860 München 1 (Matías Miranda 77)

- - -

I have absolutely no idea how we managed to lose this game. Well, yes, it's mostly because we couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with our shooting today, but still. Eintracht were supremely lucky today, not only for scoring three with the handful of chances they created, but also with the perfect timing of all their goals, all scored in critical moments. A shame, but at least we showed a much better face today, which gives us hope for the future. We only drop one place thanks to Hoffenheim's defeat, at least. Elsewhere, Dortmund win in Bielefeld while Hannover get their first win in forever against Augsburg, which delays their mathematical relegation for one more week.

[Dalbeider]

Apr 16th 2026

With our goals for the season mostly already accomplished (cup aside), it's time to start working on the future, and what better way to get started than securing Rijkhoff's continued presence in the team. We agree with Dortmund a one-year extension of his loan, with much reduced costs (only 40% of his wages for a total of €7k per month, no other payments involved) and a slightly increased optional transfer fee of €16.75M. The only reason I'm not paying up the €15.25M clause we have right now is because I want to make sure we don't overspend ahead of the new stadium's construction, and having the player for another year basically for free after his good performances this season is a dream come true. The money we'll save with this deal can now be invested in improving other contracts, thus securing our mid-term future even better. Great deal.

Apr 19th 2026

TSV 1860 München (10th) vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen (6th) (Bundesliga, 31/34)

Honestly, I almost wish the Bundesliga was over already. I'd happily sign a final tenth place if it means we can have a full strength eleven against Hertha in three days... In any case, we have to play another difficult game today, and I'm gonna be rotating the whole squad to keep our starters as fresh as possible for the cup. With some luck the youngsters and backup players will give me a reason to play them more often.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Urko (DM), Erik Majetschak (MCr), Laurin Ulrich (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Shiloh 't Zand (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)
LEVERKUSEN (4-2-3-1): Maarten Vandevoordt (GK); Brandon Soppy (DR), Adama Diallo (DCr), Linus Gechter (DCl), Mitchel Bakker (DL); Marco Kana (MCr), Yangel Herrera (MCl); Patrik Schick (AMR), Aarao (AMC), Marcos Leonardo (AML), Ali Akman (ST)

* * *

That said, we have to keep our starting full backs in the lineup because we have no healthy alternatives at the club and the few youngster not out on loan who can play there are still way too green for the Bundesliga. Urko returns to action, although he's unlikely to play the whole game. Leverkusen also rotate their squad quite heavily, including a rare start for our former starlet Gechter, only his sixth in the league so far.

All things considered, we get off to a pretty good start, with Bustos testing Vandevoordt only three minutes into the game after a bad clearance by the defense. Other than that one chance, though, the early game is an even affair with both defenses looking stronger than the opposing attacks. The few shots at goal always get blocked by someone before they even reach the keeper, with a weak and centered attempt by Sapmaz in the 25th minute after a counterattack being a rare exception. Kretzschmar finally has some work to do five minutes later when Ali breaks the offside trap and gathers a long pass from the left, his finish well deflected wide by the keeper. After that, basically nothing else until the end of a very inoffensive first half.

HALF TIME - 0-0

Not much changes in the second half, except that a header by Sapmaz in a set piece nine minutes in loops over Vandevoordt and hits the crossbar on its way. I've lost count of how many times we've hit wood in the last month or so... We remain focused on keeping our starters fresh for the cup, and soon Stjepanovic replaces Gerometta and becomes our emergency right back. Immediately after Sapmaz creates our best chance so far with a great pass towards 't Zand, who can't beat the keeper with his finish. Soon Vuskovic and Miranda give Urko and Majetschak a breather.

We keep playing well, and in the 62nd minute our youngsters connect to collect our reward: pass into space by Ulrich towards Sapmaz who, for once, finds the gap to send the ball through and score the 1-0. Miranda almost creates an immediate second with a cross towards 't Zand from within the penalty box, but the winger's header is swatted off the goal line by Vandevoordt. The keeper then denies us again in another header and another cross by Miranda, this time in a free kick and finished by Lomónaco from point-blank range. 

Leverkusen don't look like they care too much about losing today, which is weird because they need the points to keep pushing for Europe. They still find themselves with a great chance to score in the 75th minute through a cross by Schick and a centered shot by Ali, well deflected over by Kretzschmar. Bakker then heads the corner kick over the bar, but their reaction is cut short when 't Zand cuts into the box from the left, finds Sapmaz, and the right winger taps it back to Miranda so the midfielder can shoot with power and score the 2-0. Leverkusen still have a great chance to get back into the game two minutes before full time, but between Kretzschmar and the left post they manage to keep Schick from scoring from a clear-cut positon after a cross by Poulsen. That's their last hurrah, and we finally score a win after five straight losses, just before the most important match of the season for us.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 2 (Can Sapmaz 62, Matías Miranda 80)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0

- - -

About time! The funny thing is that play-wise this match was much closer than the Eintracht one, yet today we put at least some of our chances in and our defense did a fantastic job, something that hadn't happened for a long while now. Great show all in all, with Sapmaz and Hadzic as the stand-outs and a great contribution by Miranda off the bench. Let's see if this improved form translates into the cup. One bad thing, though: Manu Sánchez picked his fifth yellow and will miss the next Bundesliga game against just-relegated Hannover. Vagnoman might make it, but otherwise we might have to improvise.

[Dalbeider]

Apr 21st 2026

Been a while since we last showed up in the Team of the Week, huh. Kretzschmar and Hadzic break our bad streak and claim two spots in it.

Apr 22nd 2026

TSV 1860 München vs. Hertha BSC (DFB Pokal, semifinals)

Today is the day. Reaching the final of the DFB Pokal would be a massive achievement for the club no matter what the result there happens to be, so we'll be giving it our best try for sure. Only problem is Emery's Hertha are in their best form of the season, notching win after win in the Bundesliga and having almost secured for good the final third place and Champions League football for the following season. They'll be a tough nut to crack for sure.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Valentino Quintero (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Antonio Entrena (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Felix Nmecha (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
HERTHA (4-3-3): Oliver Baumann (GK); Guille Rosas (DR), Andrew Omobamidele (DCr), Pascal Strujik (DCl), Fredrik Bjorkan (DL); Julian Weigl (DM), Florian Neuhaus (MCr), Lucas Tousart (MCl); Pedro Porro (AMR), Nemanja Motika (AML), Krzysztof Piatek (ST)

* * *

Our last meeting in the league at Grünwalder Strasse finished 2-2, so at least we know we aren't that far away from them. We recover most of our theoretical starters (minus Kretzschmar, who leaves his place to cup keeper Quintero) today and go out there hoping for the best. Hertha come out with almost the same eleven we faced back in January minus Brais Méndez, and draw first blood with a high attempt by Piatek from the edge of the box after the striker dribbles his way past half of our defensive line. They have most of the ball in the early game, and Stjepanovic soon has to work hard to block two consecutive dangerous finishes.

We defend our way out of that early domination, and in the 17th we finally strike back through Nmecha, who finds Rijkhoff with his cross and allows the striker to give Baumann his first scare of the night, still well resolved by the keeper with a well-timed dive. We start pushing them back, and while they still keep the ball it's mostly inside their own half and away from Kretzschmar, just like we like it. We try to do our best with what little possession we're allowed, and in the 26th minute Miranda controls the ball in the center of the pitch and ses Rijkhoff's movement, threading a perfect pass through a narrow gap so the striker can gather, shoot, and score the 1-0 and his first goal in a couple of months.

Our lead lasts all of four minutes: a corner kick ends with the ball cleared towards the right side of Hertha's attack, where Motika runs alongside the goal line and delivers a death pass that no one can intercept, allowing Neuhaus to just tap it into the net to draw the game. A weak shot by Piatek that Quintero holds effortlessly follows, again after a great play by Motika, but after that the game seems to enter a lull that lasts all the way into half time, with no more work to do for either keeper. All tied after forty-five minutes.

HALF TIME - 1-1

The lull carries into the second half, with only a couple of long shots without consequence worth mentioning in the first fifteen minutes. Sapmaz then replaces a surprisingly invisible Maldini, who'd been a guaranteed performer in the competition thus far, and not much later we once again move Stjepanovic to the wing in Gerometta's place, replacing the wing back with Lomónaco. Ten more minutes of nothing follow, and it's Bustos' turn to make his appearance in Nmecha's place. But still, nothing. Looks like neither team is willing to take risks this late in the game.

The boredom carries all the way into the 83rd minute, and suddenly a long pass from deep finds Tousart running into the box completely unmarked. Stjepanovic backtracks in time to tackle the ball away from him, but it falls straight into Piatek's feet, and the striker only needs to place his shot inside the next to score the 1-2. It's not over yet, though, and three minutes before full time Lang has a great chance to grab a heroic draw in a free kick whipped in by Miranda, but finds his header grabbed out of the air by Baumann. Another chance falls to the center-back in a corner kick already in injury time, and this time it's Weigl who clears his header off the line. That's our last chance, though, and in the end the semifinals prove a slightly too tall hurdle for us to overcome.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 1 (Julian Rijkhoff 26)
Hertha BSC 2 (Florian Neuhaus 30, Krzysztof Piatek 83)

- - -

Aww, so close. We did well to keep the game close until the final minute, but we just couldn't finish the job. A shame, if we could've held on to our lead for a bit longer I could see us having more chances on the break as Hertha grew more desperate, but that wasn't to be. Surprisingly poor matches for Maldini, Gerometta, and Lang (and not just for those two missed chances near the end, he was strangely soft in defense too). Oh well, still a fantastic cup run for us, and we get a very nice consolation prize worth €2.93M just for showing up in the semis. Bayern defeat Leipzig 2-0 in the other semifinal, which makes our defeat just a little bit easier to swallow.

[Dalbeider]

Apr 25th 2026

Hannover 96 (18th) vs. TSV 1860 München (10th) (Bundesliga, 32/34)

Three games to go and little to play for other than maybe improving our final position a bit, or at least making sure it doesn't get worse. Hannover also have nothing to play for, having already confirmed their relegation to the 2.Bundesliga after a truly horrid season, so we have to consider ourselves favorites today. Even if we have no left back and half of our squad is exhausted after the midweek fixture...

* * *

HANNOVER (3-2-2-2-1): Lukas Schneller (GK); Kasim Adams (DCr), Amos Pieper (DC), Cédric Kipré (DCl); Patryk Piszczek (WBR), Adrían Marín (WBL); Ido Shahar (MCr), Lászlo Bénes (MCl); Svante Ingelsson (AMCr), Pascal Gross (AMCl); Havard Nielsen (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Josha Vagnoman (DL); Urko (DM), Erik Majetschak (MCr), Laurin Ulrich (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Shiloh 't Zand (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)

* * *

Been a while since we came across a 3-6-1 variant, and of course it's Hannover who bring it to the table, the most frequent users of three center-back formations together with Fortuna. Vagnoman finally recovers in time to feature today, although very short on fitness and will most certainly need replaced in the second half. The rest is the very same squad we used to good results against Leverkusen. We push them in the first minutes, although the first attempt at goal comes in a corner kick that Ingelsson heads over the bar. As is the rule against this formation, we have lots of possession but struggle to make anything out of it.

Minutes pass without any developments, other than Hannover still making good use of set pieces to give us scares, like another corner kick that Pieper heads into Kretzschmar's flying save. We finally creat something in the 36th minute thanks to Bustos' great assist to Sapmaz, but the winger is still not a good finisher and his poor shot shows, making it very easy for Schneller to save. Three minutes later they switch places, with Sapmaz assisting Bustos this time, and the striker shows how it's done with a perfectly placed finish to grab the opener. But once again we fail to hold onto a lead, and in a very similar way as what happened in the Hertha game, Piszczek breaks through the right wing and into the box and assists Gross for the easiest finish of his career, which becomes the 1-1 one minute before half time.

HALF TIME - 1-1

Majetschak has to be replaced by Miranda at half time due to a nagging injury. It's Gross who has the first chance of the second half, another easy-looking finish after a great cross by Ingelsson that he somehow sends straight into Kretzschmar's arms. Not much later Vagnoman also has to go rest, with Stjepanovic once again taking a role he's most certainly not used to playing. Our first shot of the half comes through Sapmaz, who's allowed space to run into and shoots reasonably well for once, but still easy for Schneller. A few minutes later Rijkhoff becomes our third and last substitution, taking 't Zand's place after another stinker by the young Dutch winger.

Bustos soon shows he likes playing on the left, too, and tries a curling right-footed shot from the edge of the box that the keeper barely manages to swat away for a corner kick, in which Hadzic also gets really close with a narrowly high header. This double chance quickstarts our best minutes in the game, with a couple good chances that only narrow offside positions end up stopping from becoming the winning goal. A known face, Emmanuel Iyoha, shows up from the bench to head a cross over the bar for Hannover in the 84th minute, then to force Kretzschmar into another fingertip save after intercepting a horrible backpass by Urko. Meanwhile, Sapmaz sends wide another one-on-one chance after a fantastic pass by Ulrich in the final minute of regulation, which Urko follows with a shot from distance that licks the top of the bar before going over. Neither team can find the winner in the end, though, and a very evenly matched game ends in a fair draw.

* * *

Hannover 96 1 (Pascal Gross 44)
TSV 1860 München 1 (Nahuel Bustos 39)

- - -

Not too thrilled about drawing with a 2.Bundesliga side but eh, it's hard to find motivation at this point of the season, and our circumstances didn't help either, what with Stjepanovic as a left back for over half an hour... Not a bad performance overall though, we had the upper hand for most of the game but struggled to finish our chances, and when playing against three at the back you can't afford to do that. Bayern and Dortmund keep winning, the former in Augsburg, a result that puts our next opposition really close to automatic relegation.

Majetschak is likely to sit out the remaining of the season after pulling his knee ligaments today. He's expected to miss three weeks of traning, meaning an early summer break for him. We're likely to start our younger players for what remains of the season, though, so it works out fine in the end.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Dalbeider

[Dalbeider]

Gonna be speeding up updates for this for a while, since lately I've been playing this save a lot and suddenly I find myself almost four seasons ahead.  Expect daily updates on weekdays from now on.

* * *

May 2nd 2026

TSV 1860 München (10th) vs. FC Augsburg (17th) (Bundeslita, 33/34)

One year ago we played in Augsburg with survival at stake, and they did all they could to make us relegate, although in the end we managed to hold on thanks to results elsewhere. Today the roles have been switched, and we have a chance to send our mini-rivals packing to the 2.Bundesliga with a win, with no hope of salvation coming from other results for them. Funny how things work sometimes...

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Antonio Entrena (MCr), Laurin Ulrich (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Daniel Maldini (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
AUGSBURG (4-3-1-2): Tomás Koubek (GK); Benjamin Henrichs (DR), Moritz Jenz (DCr), Leonidas Stergiou (DCl), Micky van de Ven (DL); Yacine Adli (MCr), Sebastian Vasiliadis (MC), Torben Rhein (MCl); Pedro Henrique (AMC); Jorgen Strand Larsen (STr), Jonas Wind (STl)

* * *

Ending the season with two derbies means we can't take it too easy despite having nothing to play for. We still keep the likes of Hadzic, Ulrich, and Sapmaz out there, because they can really do with the extra minutes to help their development, and we also experiment a bit with Maldini on the left, a position he's played in very sporadically so far. We go on the attack from the moment the ball starts rolling, and only thirty seconds into the game Sapmaz is already shooting wide after a fantastic assist by Vuskovic. Augsburg know they need a win, though, and soon hit back through a long goal kick towards Strand Larsen, who assists Wind for a high finish, well over the bar. Looks like this derby will be of the fun kind.

Our next attack comes once again through the right wing, with Sapmaz assisting and Rijkhoff shooting with power into Koubek's punch to deflect it over. The pace seems to slow down after that chance, though, and not much happens on either goal until the 28th, when Augsburg seem to decide the game needs a bit of comedy: the defense intercept a cross by Sapmaz, the center-backs and Koubek pass the ball among themselves without seeming to know what to do with it, and then Rijkhoff decides enough is enough, intercepts it, and just watches it roll over the goal line for the 1-0. Silly, but it counts.

The goal seems to kill whatever rhythm the game still had in it, and the minutes pass by harmlessly, with only a stray header by Strand Larsen in a free kick crossed into the box by Rhein clipping the upside of the bar to break the monotony. With that and little else, the first half ends with our momentary victory.

HALF TIME - 1-0

Things remain mostly calm in the first minutes of the second half, although Kretzschmar does have to block a powerful effort from distance by Vasiliadis eight minutes in. After a bit longer with no changes we bring Nmecha in Sapmaz's place, while Vagnoman replaces a somewhat tired and not too effective Sánchez. In the 63rd minute it's our turn to hit wood, this time through Rijkhoff's header into the far post after a corner kick. Miranda then takes Ulrich's place to complete our substitutions, while Augsburg keep bring the ball near our goal, but never quite creating credible danger.

Miranda almost kills the game for real in the 70th, running into space like he's wont to do and catching a great ball by Nmecha, only to smash his finish into Koubek's body. Six minutes later Maldini has another chance denied by a timely block by the defense, and the same happens to Nmecha in the 85th. At least the game seems under control now, a notion reinforced by another chance falling to Entrena, his header well saved by the keeper after a nice cross from the right side by Gerometta. Finally, one minute before full time, Maldini whips a cross towards the far post and Rijkhoff stands tall and heads the ball into the net to finally seal our win for good. A good result for us, and the abyss for Augsburg.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 2 (Julian Rijkhoff 28 89)
FC Augsburg 0

- - -

Good game, good result, and goodbye Augsburg, I'm sure we'll meet again soon. Rijkhoff seems to have regained his eye for goal as of late, and it's mostly thanks to him and Miranda that we've managed a few positive results lately. Good team effort in general today, too. Frankfurt's draw against Hertha means we still have a shot at the 9th place, but of course that means beating Bayern in the Allianz when they actually need a win. Yeeeah, not likely... At the very least we know Stuttgart would need to regain eight goals on us to catch up, so it's unlikely we'll go any lower than tenth. Pretty good, if you ask me. On the topic of Bayern, their 1-4 win in Düsseldorf puts some extra pressure on Dortmund, who for some reason don't play until tomorrow.

[Dalbeider]

May 3rd 2026

Dortmund don't even flinch and beat Freiburg 4-2 to keep their four-point lead over Bayern intact. Now Bayern need to beat Leverkusen in their delayed fixture, and then hope Dortmund drop points away to (gasp) Leipzig in their final fixture. Fun stuff. It'll have to wait, though, because now we enter a two-week break.

May 5th 2026

Manuel Neuer announces his retirement at the end of the season. Bayern player or not, an absolute legend of the sport. Respect.

May 9th 2026

Well well well, would you look at that: Leverkusen beat Bayern 1-0 in that one adjourned game, courtesy of Sinisterra, and the Bundesliga has a new champion: Borussia Dortmund! About time someone not called Bayern lifted the title. Another reason for our faithful to low-key celebrate, as petty as that sounds.

May 12th 2026

Almost forgot with all the excitement, but there's a World Cup coming in a month. Croatia qualified for it, and their manager just called up Vuskovic for the preliminary squad. Now that would be a huge stage for the kid to get his senior debut. Absolutely deserved considering how well he's played with us this season, of course.

May 13th 2026

Gerometta goes down with food poisoning, and might be a last-minute decision for the Münchner Derby.

May 15th 2026

Well, he'd better be ready to play, because Vagnoman won't: twisted ankle in the very last training session of the year, meaning he's out for the game and the three next weeks.

May 16th 2026

Final day of the season, and for a change most important things have already been decided: Dortmund are champions, Bayern have a guaranteed spot in the Champions League, and Hannover and Augsburg have relegated. Left to decide are the last two Champions League spots, which is a tossup between Hertha (62 points), Köln (61 points), and Leverkusen (59), with Köln travelling to Frankfurt and Leverkusen hosting Hertha in a kill-or-be-killed direct duel. There's also the Europa League and the Conference League, with the loser of the Champions battle and three more teams (Leipzig on 55 points, Freiburg also on 55, and Gladbach on 53) fighting for the three spots. Finally, Fortuna Düsseldorf and Arminia Bielefeld are tied on 27 points, with the former taking the relegation playoff place on goal difference right now. They'll need to improve on Arminia's result against Hamburg in their fixture in Hoffenheim if they want to avoid it.

* * *

FC Bayern München (2nd) vs. TSV 1860 München (10th) (Bundesliga, 34/34)

Meanwhile here we are, in the most inconsequential and relaxed Münchner derby of all times, probably. Bayern will want to save strength for their upcoming finals in both the DFB Pokal and the Champions League, while we just have local pride and an ancestral rivalry to fuel our motivation. Which is a lot, to be fair. Considering how hurt after losing the Bundesliga and how out of focus Bayern should be today, I doubt we'll have any better chances to steal a result from them.

* * *

BAYERN (4-2-3-1): David Raya (GK); Joshua Kimmich (DR), Dayot Upamecano (DCr), Nico Schlotterbeck (DCl), Owen Wijndal (DL); Kai Havertz (MCr), Sebastian Szymanski (MCl); Mikkel Darmsgaard (AMR), Jamal Musiala (AMC), Kingsley Coman (AML); Moise Kean (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Antonio Entrena (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Nahuel Bustos (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

With Vagnoman out injured, we instead recover Majetschak, although the midfielder will be on the bench today. Bayern rotate a lot, as expected, benching the likes of Lewandowski, Gnabry, and Ramsdale, but still putting out a terrifying eleven. Might be the first time I see Kean playing for them, actually, bought from Juventus for €45M the previous summer and with only five apps and one start so far... Well, his introduction couldn't be any better: three minutes in Kimmich intercepts a pass on Bayern's right wing and quickly sends the ball ahead for Kean, unmarked near the edge of the box, so the striker can place a perfect little shot next to the root of the post and open the score. That was quick.

We won't take it sitting this time, though, and soon we create our first chance through Sánchez's low cross towards Miranda, who sees his finish stopped by third keeper Raya in an excellent dive. Rijkhoff immediately hits them again assised by Miranda himself, and prompting another good save by the Spaniard, but then it's Bayern's turn: Havertz sends the ball into the heart of the box, Coman collects, Kretzschmar rushes out wildly, and the forward calmly sidesteps him to score the 2-0 with just ten minutes gone. The keeper does much better against Kean seven minutes later, deflecting wide what could've been the third after another nice through ball by Havertz.

Bayern keep dominating the game afterwards, although the chances seem to slow down a bit. A 30 yarder by Havertz that Kretzschmar saves without trouble in the 26th minute is their first approach in a while, then follows a weak header by Coman that the keeper once again smothers with ease and a similar one with the same end result by Darmsgaard. Kretzschmar has to play heroics then, tipping over a finish by Kean after a serious passing mistake by Lang. We get a rare chance to attack in injury time, but Entrena's final shot is not particularly good and the ball sails over the bar, and the first half ends shortly after with another miracle save by Kretzschmar at Kean's feet.

HALF TIME - 2-0

The second half doesn't start too well for us, since Musiala steals the ball from the isolated Stjepanovic and only fails to lob the ball over Kretzschmar for the 3-0 because the post gets in the way. Another header by Coman is then saved by the keeper, then it's Kean who heads a cross by Kimmich wide, as Bayern seem keen to continue pushing us until we break again. We soon bring Sapmaz and Urko into the game hoping for some kind of spark, but all we get is more crosses into our box, free headers, and good saves by Kretzschmar. Sapmaz does get a good run into the box after a nice hold-and-pass play by Rijkhoff, but Wijndal gets there in time to block his finish.

't Zand replaces an absolutely inconsequential Bustos a bit later, prompting a couple of long range attempts that never give Raya any kind of trouble. At the very least we seem to have managed to stop their attacks, which allows us to take a small step forward and maybe hope for a goal to get us back into the game. A good chance presents itself when Entrena steals the ball from Goretzka and mounts a quick counter, but Urko's final shot from the edge of the box is nowhere near the target. After that Bayern plug all the gaps and we fail to create anything else, but neither do they ever threaten Kretzschmar's goal again. In the end, a 2-0 defeat and a very credible performance for us.

* * *

FC Bayern München 2 (Moise Kean 3, Kingsley Coman 10)
TSV 1860 München 0

- - -

Not too bad, I guess. Better performance overall than our loss to Freiburg, for example, and if those two early chances had gone in we might be talking about a very different result today. Alas, even Bayern's fringe players are superstars compared to anything we can have in our squad right now, so even at their worst they're still too good for us to beat without incredible amounts of luck, and we didn't have that today. Fair result.

* * *

| Pos  | Inf   | Team                | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | GD    | Pts   | Form  | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 1st  | C     | Borussia Dortmund   | 34    | 25    | 3     | 6     | 90    | 30    | 60    | 78    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 2nd  | CL    | FC Bayern           | 34    | 24    | 5     | 5     | 101   | 24    | 77    | 77    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 3rd  | CL    | Hertha BSC          | 34    | 18    | 8     | 8     | 46    | 29    | 17    | 62    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 4th  | CL    | Bayer Leverkusen    | 34    | 18    | 8     | 8     | 61    | 47    | 14    | 62    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 5th  | EL    | Köln                | 34    | 18    | 8     | 8     | 55    | 41    | 14    | 62    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 6th  | EL    | RB Leipzig          | 34    | 18    | 4     | 12    | 68    | 44    | 24    | 58    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 7th  | ECL   | Freiburg            | 34    | 18    | 4     | 12    | 52    | 38    | 14    | 58    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 8th  |       | Borussia M'gladbach | 34    | 17    | 5     | 12    | 50    | 37    | 13    | 56    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 9th  |       | Frankfurt           | 34    | 13    | 11    | 10    | 54    | 51    | 3     | 50    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 10th |       | 1860 München        | 34    | 14    | 7     | 13    | 51    | 53    | -2    | 49    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 11th |       | Stuttgart           | 34    | 13    | 7     | 14    | 33    | 42    | -9    | 46    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 12th |       | Hoffenheim          | 34    | 12    | 5     | 17    | 38    | 55    | -17   | 41    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 13th |       | Hamburg             | 34    | 12    | 2     | 20    | 43    | 69    | -26   | 38    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 14th |       | Nürnberg            | 34    | 9     | 6     | 19    | 38    | 63    | -25   | 33    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 15th |       | Fortuna Düsseldorf  | 34    | 8     | 6     | 20    | 29    | 65    | -36   | 30    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 16th | Pl    | Arminia Bielefeld   | 34    | 7     | 7     | 20    | 35    | 65    | -30   | 28    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 17th | R     | Augsburg            | 34    | 6     | 5     | 23    | 34    | 64    | -30   | 23    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 18th | R     | Hannover 96         | 34    | 2     | 7     | 25    | 19    | 80    | -61   | 13    |       | 
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

 

The Champions League spots in the end went to Hertha and Leverkusen. The latter of the two beat the former, while Köln could only draw 2-2 in Frankfurt, prompting a three-way tie that Hertha won on goal difference and Leverkusen on goals scored. Tough luck for der FC, although at least they got the consolation prize of a place in the Europa League, together with Leipzig, while Freiburg will have to do with the Conference League after hovering around the Champions League places for most of the season. Gladbach have also been up there all year long, but in the end finish with no reward. At the bottom, Arminia could only draw 3-3 in Hamburg while Fortuna beat Hoffenheim 2-4, and now the Bielefeld side will have to face a relegation playoff, most likely against Wolfsburg. As for us, a tenth place in the end might look slightly disappointing given how close to Europe we were for most of the season, but it's still a great achievement for a club of our current size, and a great platform for further growth, just what we wanted out of this year.

[Dalbeider]

END OF SEASON 2025/26 - PLAYER SUMMARY

GOALKEEPERS

Name               Apps    Conceded  Clean Sheets  PoM  Av.Rat.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Kretzschmar      27          41             7    0     7.09
Valentino Quintero   12          19             3    0     6.95

Very good season for both of our keepers, with Kretzschmar in particular being consistently great. The only exception were those five straight losses in which he conceded a few silly goals at his near post that he really should've done better with, but he more often than not compensated those mistakes with fantastic saves that were worth many points on their own. The only shadow in his season were a couple of not-too-major injuries, which in turn allowed Quintero to have more playing time than ever. The Argentinian did well, not to Kretzschmar's standars but still solid and without any gross mistakes, and our long cup run also benefitted him a lot. We'll probably run this line back as is next season, unless Quintero decides he's ready to be a starter elsewhere.

 

DEFENDERS

Name                   Apps     Goals    Assists    PoM    Y.C   R.C  Av.Rat.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amer Hadzic            7(1)         0          0      1      0     0     7.37
Niklas Lang              28         3          0      1      7     0     7.08
Mateja Stjepanovic    24(5)         0          3      1      7     0     7.05
Kevin Lomónaco         7(1)         0          0      0      0     0     7.01
Josha Vagnoman        19(7)         1          3      1      7     0     6.96
Francisco Gerometta   27(3)         0          5      0      9     0     6.95
Manu Sánchez          15(2)         0          3      0      7     0     6.89
Francisco Moura       10(3)         0          0      0      0     0     6.80
Dries Wouters          2(1)         0          0      0      0     0     7.03
Philipp Steinhart      0(1)         0          0      0      0     0     7.00
Tjark Rung                1         0          0      0      0     0     7.60

Great season for all our center-backs, no questions asked. All of them had ups and downs, but the end result was a very solid line despite having to be rebuilt practically from the ground up as the season went. Stjepanovic was a worthy replacement for Gechter, even providing three assists thanks to long passes from deep, and Hadzic and Lomónaco arrived in the winter window to replace the departing Wouters and the out-of-place Urko, and both did remarkably well, particularly the young Bosnian, who leads the whole team in average rating. We'll see how this line works next year now that everyone's used to each other and to the rest of the squad, but I expect good things from all of them.

The wings were slightly weaker, but still a marked improvement over previous seasons. Once again the right side was better, with both Gerometta and new face Vagnoman providing really good performances and a good amount of assists, even though Vagnoman played often on the left, too. Talking about the left, our initial pair of Moura and Steinhart had to be scrapped altogether in winter due to bad performances from the first and just not being up to scratch anymore for the second. In came Manu Sánchez, and he had a pretty solid half-year all things considered. His performances dropped noticeably in the last couple of months, though, but so did the rest of the team, so I won't worry too much just yet. I expect all three of our current wing backs to stay, although we'll probably try to add at least one more player to improve our rotation. That new face might be Rung, who returns from loan in a few weeks and did well in his one appearance in the cup.

 

MIDFIELDERS

Name                   Apps     Goals    Assists    PoM    Y.C   R.C  Av.Rat.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matías Miranda        27(7)         9          5      1      1     0     7.07
Antonio Entrena       24(6)         6          5      1      0     0     7.06
Darko Vuskovic        24(1)         0          4      0     12     0     7.06
Laurin Ulrich         7(11)         1          4      0      0     0     6.99
Erik Majetschak       20(8)         4          5      0      5     0     6.94
Urko                  16(7)         0          0      0      0     0     6.80
Victor Bobsin             7         0          0      0      4     0     6.79
Riza Gundak               1         0          1      0      0     0     7.90

A short rotation in our midfield this season, but an extremely solid one. Miranda had a breakout year after his arrival in the middle of last season, becoming our most incisive and attack-minded midfielder all year long and bagging a good amount of goals. He basically inherited that role from Majetschak, who in contrast had a bit of a downer season, seeing his contributions in both attack and defense drop noticeably as he was no longer the sole focus of our attacks coming from deep. Still, not a bad year by any means, just slightly disappointing given what he gave us before.

The highlight of the year were the youngsters, though. Antonio Entrena soon justified all my hype when we managed to land him from Nürnberg, and his first year with us has been nothing short of fantastic. Goals and assists on top of a very strong midfield presence and fantastic discipline (zero yellow cards!) for someone so young and with so many minutes. And he just turned twenty! If he keeps improving he's a shoe-in for the national team come the Euros, mark my words. To a lesser extent, Ulrich's first season in the first team since we bought him from Stuttgart has also been a success, enjoying quality minutes in both the league and the cup and contributing with good performances and four assists, and while he's one year older than Entrena, he still has a lot of room for improvement. We'll be expecting good things from both of them in the coming years, assuming neither is poached by a bigger team in the meantime.

On the defensive end, another youngster arrived last summer to completely take over the anchor position. Vuskovic has been nothing if not a revelation, and I'd consider him a serious candidate for signing of the season in the Bundesliga. Fantastic positioning and defensive work, he even found time to join the attack and provide assists through pinpoint long passes and to help the buildup from the back. His backup at first was the disgruntled Bobsin, but his constant raving about a new contract and his sub-par performances brought him back to Brazil, allowing summer signing Urko to move from his role as a backup defender and become the backup anchor instead. He was alright, better than in defense at the very least, but his season in general is one of the few disappointments we've had this year. He'd better improve if he doesn't want to find himself in the chopping block. Gundak debutted in that cup first round 0-12 destruction and looked really good, and he's had a decent loan spell in Ankaragücü, so he might have a chance of joining the rotation next season.

 

ATTACKERS

Name                   Apps     Goals    Assists    PoM    Y.C   R.C  Av.Rat.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel Maldini        26(4)        12          6      2      1     0     7.07
Julian Rijkhoff      23(12)        17          3      5      0     0     7.05
Shiloh 't Zand        15(9)         4          7      1      5     0     6.96
Felix Nmecha          15(3)         5          3      1      0     0     6.91
Can Sapmaz           13(15)         5          3      0      4     0     6.76
Nahuel Bustos         25(8)         9          3      0      4     0     6.76

Just by looking at the ratings it's easy to separate our forwards into three clearly divided groups. Let's start with the outstanding performers, with Daniel Maldini at the very top. The Italian winger came in a €1M deal and even then I figured he'd look cheap by the end of the season, and boy did he fulfill those expectations. His first half of the season was insane, providing goals and assists and being a creative machine. He faded out a bit in the second half, but still ended the season with noteworthy numbers. The same could be said of Rijkhoff, although the Dutch loanee was somewhat more consistent, scoring goals all year long with the sole exception of our bad spell around March and April, and simply becoming our best option upfront by far despite being brought as a rotation option at best. He's earned himself a second year on loan, and if he can keep this level up we'll be doing all we can to keep him for good.

The "eh" third of our forward line matches perfectly with our left wing, and although 't Zand and Nmecha had very similar turnouts in the end, their seasons offer a very different read from each other. Nmecha was better in isolated fixtures, but when he was bad he was really bad, and he's also been showing some stamina problems which make him very unlikely to play a full game without issue. Meanwhile 't Zand's highs weren't as high, but he was much more consistent overall despite being the younger of the two, and ended the season as our best assist provider, not a minor feat considering the amount of minutes he played. I'm not unhappy with either of them, and I won't be actively looking to make any changes here, but I also won't say no if someone comes asking. I'm sure we can do better than this.

Then there's the disappointments, and once again there's a very different read to be made of the two of them. We can cut Sapmaz some slack due to being a young player still in the middle of his development phase, even though we most certainly expected better from him. His finishing in particular has been woeful all year long, and despite having some very good games down the right in the end that didn't translate into much actual production. He gets another chance to show he can be a valuable member of this team. Bustos, though? He was bought from Schalke for €4.2M, one of our biggest transfers to date, and he has the highest wages in the squad by far, and what we get in exchange is... this. Nine goals isn't too bad, and in the final third of the season he looked a bit better and actually played as our best forward at times, but no, that's not enough. If anyone shows any interest in him, I won't hesitate to pull the trigger and find a better striker.

* * *

May 17th 2026

The season is over for us, and we collect our well-deserved prize for our final tenth place: €53.25M. Time to get serious about building that stadium, Herr Dippel.

Not so good news coming from Regensburg, as Knöferl injures his hip in his last game on loan with them and will be recovering for at least two months. The forwards's season has been another disappointment, and given he's 23 and his contract expires next year, we'll most likely be looking into selling him this summer.

With the season ending and our long-term goals once again achieved ahead of schedule, the board propose a new five-year plan. Once again the focus is on survival for the next season, but they'll be expecting us to become an established Bundesliga team afterwards, something I'd say we already are? Play style-wise we'll continue with a high-tempo, possession football, and apparently there's a growing call for signing players from the lower levels of the domestic game.

More good news coming from the board: we're now allowed to retain 100% of any transfer fees received as part of our budget, yay. This comes together with the announcement of our new budgets: €575k per week for wages, and €13.92M for transfers. Considering we're not expecting to make any major moves this summer, this will give us lots of freedom when it comes to offering new deals to our current players, and also to replace them should anyone come with an offer we can't reject.

Best news: the new stadium's construction is finally underway! A massive investment for the club, it will cost almost €64M and we'll be taking a €35.5M loan to help finance it. The agreement comes together with a stadium sponsorship deal worth €32M and an extra €11.75M to be raised by allowing new developments in the stadium's site, so we're set to recoup a good portion of our investment almost immediately. The construction process will take three years, and once finished our new home will have a capacity of 27,590. Can't wait.

With that, the players depart on holiday with the date of return set on July 6th. Except for Vuskovic, of course: he's already flying to join Croatia's national team. When preseason starts we'll be heading to St. Gallen in Switzerland for our yearly training camp.

May 22nd 2026

Kretzschmar calls from his holiday house to ask me for a new contract, something I'm more than happy to provide. We have the funds now, so offering him a €26k weekly contract until June 2030 is no issue at all, considering he's one of the most important members of the squad right now. Still 27, this new deal will see him spending his best years as a player with us, and with no release clause included we're guaranteed to have negotiation rights should anyone be crazy enough to try and pry him off our hands.

May 23rd 2026

Meanwhile, Stjepanovic's good season is already attracting attention from big teams like PSV. The center-back currently has a €10M release clause for clubs in the Champions League, so maybe offering him a new deal that gets rid of that might be a good idea. His wages are surprisingly low at only €9.5k anyway...

Bayern lift the DFB Pokal after a 2-0 win over Hertha in the final. Not a particularly eventful match, easily dominated by the favorites with an early goal by Musiala and a late one by center-back Tapsoba to seal the deal. In related news, Goal.com chooses us as the overachivers of the season in the competition, nice.

May 24th 2026

Vuskovic makes the final Croatia squad for the World Cup! He'll be our only player there, as neither Serbia nor Bosnia qualified, and so Stjepanovic and Hadzic have no chance to participate.

May 25st 2026

Well, that was a very one-sided relegation playoff: Wolfsburg destroy Arminia 1-4 on aggregate and regain their place in the Bundesliga, taking revenge from their defeat in the very same match-up exactly one year ago. Union Berlin and Mainz will also be returning straight back to the top level. Schalke? Ninth. They're firmly a 2.Bundesliga side now, no question.

With the season officially over the players get their collective bonus of €750k, well earned after a successful season.

May 26th 2026

Vuskovic gets a mention in the Bundesliga's seasonal awards, earning the third place in the *Newcomer der Saison* award behind Hertha's Andrew Omobamidele and the eventual winner, Dortmund's Adam Hlozek.

May 31st 2026

As mentioned earlier, Stjepanovic signs a new contract with us, getting rid of his release clause and increasing his wages threefold to €29.5k. Anyone who wants to take him away from us will have to pay through their nose now.

Hadzic gets a new call up for Bosnia to play a friendly match against Algeria. I bet he'd prefer being in North America for the World Cup, but alas.

Not much to deal with regarding expiring contracts this season, at least when it comes to the first team. There's a couple fringe prospects like goalkeeper Anheier and defender Morgalla which get offered new deals just to not lose them for nothing, but other than that we're set. There might be some movement in the staff department, though, although that will wait until later in June. And well, there's obviously Steinhart, but it's been clear for a while now that the veteran left back would be leaving the squad on a free at the end of his current deal.

* * *

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD
 

• Premier League: six on the trot for Manchester City, and this time with a record lead of eighteen points over second-place Chelsea. The big surprise comes next, though: Newcastle finally manage their first Champions League qualification after their takeover and steal the third place ahead of Manchester United, relegating Arsenal and Liverpool to the Europa League and Spurs to the Conference. The relegation zone was occupied by three Bs: Bournemouth, Brentford, and Bristol City, with Sheffield United being the only promoted team to maintain their status. City completely dominated the domestic game, also grabbing both cups, the Carabao Cup after a 3-0 win over Leicester, and the FA Cup in a shootout win over Liverpool. 
• LaLiga: another successful season for Real Madrid, who finish with 98 points and ten points clear at the top of the table. Barça remain second with a comfortable lead over the rest, but not getting anywhere close to the winners of the last three editions of the tournament. Villarreal return to Europe with a fantastic third place, just ahead of Real Sociedad, a constant feature in the European places in Spain recently. Sevilla and post-Simeone Atletico grab the Europa League places while Valencia take the Conference League. Valencia were also the finalists in the Copa del Rey, but lost clearly to Real Madrid, who got themselves yet another double. Back to the league, few surprises in the relegation battle, with Granada joining newly promoted Oviedo and Málaga on the way down.
• Serie A: Milan make their excellent first half of the season work in the end, and lift their first Serie A trophy in over a decade. Five points behind were neighbors and rivals Inter, with Juventus and Napoli trailing a bit further behind and the two Roma squads sharing the Europa League places, while Sassuolo return to European contention with their qualification for the Conference League. At the bottom there was finally heartbreak for repeat borderline survivors Benevento, missing out on salvation by two points and relegating to the Serie B together with Verona and Spezia. The Coppa Italia went to Napoli after a 1-0 win over Roma in the final.
• Ligue 1: PSG won. Goddammit. Not only that, but midseason leaders Marseille couldn't even hold on to the second place in the end, and got overtaken by Monaco. That said, it was a pretty close finish, with the top three within only five points of each other. Nice got the only Europa League place granted by the league with their fourth place, while Lille would have to do with a somewhat disappointing qualification to the Conference League. The reason for that was Clermont's surprising victory in the Coupe de France, beating Lille themselves 2-1 in the final and earning European qualification despite their thirteenth place in the league. Relegation struck only two teams, Angers and Valenciennes, since Nimes survived the playoff against Nantes. On the bright side, Saint-Étienne finally return to the top tier together with Auxerre.
• Champions League: Bayern might have failed to retain the Bundesliga for the first time in twelve years, but their DFB Pokal win and, most of all, their victory in the Champions League in their fourth consecutive final appearance surely mean their season was a success in the end. Manchester City were their victims in a match our neighbors won two to nil, with goals from Musiala and the eternal Lewandowski, who at thirty-seven years old just signed a new two-year contract and will keep torturing us with his goals for a bit longer. A surprisingly one-sided final which both teams reached after much tighter semifinals, with Bayern beating Monaco 2-1 on aggregate and City doing the same with Inter 4-2.
• Europa League: Bayern weren't the only German team to do a double this season, though: Dortmund defeated Milan 1-0 in the Europa League final and complete a fantastic season together with their Bundesliga win. Newcomer of the Year Adam Hlozek scored the decisive goal early in the match, and the Italians tried their best to come back but their finishing betrayed them. The semis saw Dortmund deal with Lyon with ease, while Milan had it only a bit tougher with PSV.
• Conference League: not a German treble in Europe, but still a quite surprising final in the Conference League, in which Aston Villa ended up lifting the trophy after another 1-0 win over Celta, in los Celestes' first ever successful European campaign. The goal didn't come until extra time despite Villa's domination, and it came from striker Ollie Watkins five minutes in. Villa had reached the final after a 5-2 walkover against Partizan, while Celta struggled to overcome a very strong Marseille side.

[Dalbeider]

Jun 1st 2026

Repayments for our just taken loan begin with the start of the month, at a rate of €375k per month for the next ten years. We should be able to handle it, but it's a good thing we don't need to spend much in transfers this summer...

Jun 3rd 2026

Ah yes, the other outstanding contract issue we've been dragging all year long without resolution... Majetschak is the next to ask for a new deal, and this time we can't dodge the issue, so it's time to sit down and talk about it. Regular starter minutes and a €27k weekly wage with a €8M release clause is the best (for us) we can manage, but making him angry by not giving him the deal was a huge risk considering how influential in the dressing room he's become in the last two years. Eh, we can afford it, and I hope that'll bring his best game back.

Jun 4th 2026

Senior debut for Vuskovic with Croatia, a five-minute cameo on a surprising 2-0 friendly win over Argentina just before the World Cup.

More contract-related troubles, this one coming from our youth ranks. One of our most promising players, 18yo forward Harald Schwabl, asks for a new contract and I say yes, sure, let's talk about it. And it turns out he wants a guaranteed starting place in the first team just to start discussing terms. That's obviously impossible, so now he's grumbling and might be a source of trouble in the future. He still has two years remaining in his deal so there's no fear of losing him for nothing soon, but it might be advisable to find him a move out, probably a loan so he can cool off and come back refreshed and with less airs to him.

Jun 7th 2026

Vuskovic's second senior cap for Croatia is a full-game performance in a 3-1 win over Perú, in which he got himself an assist. At the same time Hadzic also played the whole game with Bosnia in a 2-1 win over Algeria, but with a pretty poor performance for his standards.

No taxes for us this year, as we didn't register a profit thanks to the huge investment in the new stadium. The board provide a new €615k scouting budget which allows us to expand our recruitment package to all of Central Europe, while at the same time injecting €4.7M into the club's accounts (still a healthy €20M in the black) to help with running costs, aware that we're likely to dip deep into the red later into the season.

Jun 15th 2026

Vuskovic's World Cup debut comes in a 1-1 draw against the United States in the group stage, in which he came off the bench to play the last twenty minutes with little impact. Now Croatia need to get at least one point against Paraguay (who lost to the USA in the first fixture) to progress to the next stage. This new format is stressful...

Jun 19th 2026

The Athletic's review of the Bundesliga chooses 1860 München as the overachievers of the season. Not a particularly meaningful award, but still nice to hear. Our 2-2 home draw against Köln is also chosen as the best match of the season, while Stjepanovic finishes among the runners-up for the Signing of the Season award, won by Dortmund's center-back Mohamed Simakan.

The new season brings new expectations. Well, new-ish: the board still only want us to avoid relegation and to reach the third round of the DFB Pokal, which should be well within our reach. They also allow us to sign one extra recruitment analyst, something that's unlikely to make or break our season but is still a welcome plus.

Jun 20th 2026

It's been a quiet break so far transfers-wise, and that's by design. It doesn't mean we're not looking for improvements either for the present or for the future, and one of the latter finally is confirmed today when we seal the arrival of Monaco's 19yo right back Randy Bourrier. A bet for the future in a position we have well covered in the first team, Bourrier is a very attacking wing back who can also play as a more advanced winger, and who brings lots of pace, technique, and potential to the table. He's likely to be loaned this season to see how he develops, then reasses his future afterwards. He comes with a three-year deal on minimal wages and for no transfer cost, since he joins at the end of his current contract.

Jun 21st 2026

Our first few fixtures in the Bundesliga won't be too gentle, as we'll start the season with a trip to Berlin to face Hertha, next we'll host just-promoted Mainz, then we'll travel to Leipzig. We'll close the season with another difficult trip, this time to Leverkusen, just after hosting Bayern in Grünwalder Strasse. Also, an important change: we won't be right behind Bayern in the fixture list anymore, but rather right behind Dortmund, the current champions.

Jun 23rd 2026

Vuskovic didn't play in Croatia's second group stage game against Paraguay (they won 4-2), but he played the whole game in their second round match-up against none other than England. Croatia gave their best and dragged it into extra time, but eventually succumbed to a Harry Kane goal five minutes before the end. Vuskovic had a remarkable performance as a central midfielder, but now he's coming home with the rest of his squad.

On the topic of the World Cup, we're about to enter the third round and a few stand-out eliminations have already taken place. The most notable one in the group stage was Cameroon, who finished with zero points in a group that contained Norway (six goals by Haaland in two games) and Uzbekistan, who qualified after beating the Africans 2-1. The second round saw both Norwegians and Uzbeks eliminated, together with Argentina (who got a criminal tie against Brazil), Italy (on penalties against Ecuador), and Uruguay (2-1 at the hands of Sweden). I still don't like this new system, it has created match-ups like the aforementioned Brazil-Argentina together with others like USA-Panama and Turkey-Japan. Oh well.

Jun 30th 2026

Expiring contracts end, which means the release of Phillipp Steinhart among others. About to turn thirty-four, he still seems to attract attention from 3.Liga teams like Halle, so he might continue playing for a while yet. Regardless, a fantastic servant for the club on our way up the leagues and one of the key contributors to our success, he'll be remembered as one of the club icons in the future for sure. His long career with die Löwen (with only a brief interruption to join Bayern's reserve squad, of all teams) has seem him sticking through thick and thin, including his return to the club at the time of the administrative relegation to the Regionalliga. We'll certainly miss him, and we wish him all the best from now on.

Our loanees return to the club, with some notable performances by the likes of Franzke (injuries and relegation aside) and Forson, although it's unlikely either of them will have a place in the first team next season, there's just too much competition in our midfield right now. Left back Tjark Rung has a much better chance of featuring, though, after a solid year in Hansa Rostock and with all his great potential still there, ready to explode.

[Dalbeider]

Jul 1st 2026

Transfer window opens, and for once to little fanfare in our offices, with only a couple of youth players departing and new kid Bourrier joining. The right back soon starts attracting loan offers from back home in France, so he won't be with us for too long.

Meanwhile, the World Cup reaches the quarterfinals with a few more illustrious names falling by the wayside. England is by far the biggest casualty, losing on penalties against a Brazil team that's reached this stage despite two absolutely insane ties in the early knockout rounds. In most third round ties the favourite side won, though, with the possible exception of Turkey defeating the United States. In the end we're left with a very traditional-looking lineup for the quarterfinals: Turkey-Portugal, Brazil-Netherlands (if Brazil end up winning this World Cup it'll be legendary), Germany-France (ouch) and Spain-Belgium.

It's also a surprising moment to receive news of a team wanting me, and it's none other than Villarreal back in Spain. A Champions League team that just finished third in LaLiga, I remind you. It's good to know I'm doing a job good enough to be noticed at those levels, but I'm still not ready to leave this club.

Since the transfer window has opened, and a bit later than usual, let's do the thing where we look at the team and see what needs to be done. It's depth chart time!

GK: Kretzschmar/Quintero

DR: Vagnoman/Gerometta
DCx2: Lang/Stjepanovic/Hadzic/Lomónaco/(Urko)/(Entrena)
DL: Sánchez/(Vagnoman)/Rung?

DM: Vuskovic/Urko/(Entrena)
CMx2: Miranda/Entrena/Majetschak/Ulrich/Franzke?/(Vuskovic)/(Urko)

AMR: Maldini/Sapmaz/(Nmecha)/(Bustos)
AML: 't Zand/Nmecha/(Bustos)/(Maldini)
ST: Rijkhoff/Bustos

Notice the lack if question marks when compared to previous seasons? That's how set our squad is right now. If we really wanted we could just run the same squad back without any changes and we'd probably be fine, maybe even better than last year since some of our youngsters will have improved. That said, there's a couple of positions where I'd like to tweak a bit if at all possible. 

First, there's the left back: no problems with either of our options there, but I'd like to increase my depth, either with a natural left back so Vagnoman can focus solely on the right, or by bringing in another right back then moving him to the left full time. I'd prefer the first option myself. Rung is an option, although he looks a bit green for the Bundesliga still, and he'd only play residual minutes, which might actually hamper his development. We'll be looking for bargains here, so either free transfers or cheap fees, and ideally players on the young side, since all our other full backs are 25 or older.

Next there's the left winger/inside forward position, where we have two passable alternatives in 't Zand and Nmecha plus Bustos and Maldini in case we need another body. The depth is more than fine, but the quality might be a bit lacking. It's certainly our weakest position right now, and while 't Zand can still improve, Nmecha has already hit his ceiling. He's also on a contract year, so selling him now and replacing him with someone better would probably be a good idea. Still, we'll only do so if the right player appears in our radar.

Finally, the strikers. Rijkhoff is more than fine, we've brought him back for another year for a reason. Bustos, though, has played well below expectations so far, and his huge wages aren't helping his case. His versatility makes him a useful player to have, but we need more than that from the highest wage in the squad. Once again, if the right player shows up for cheap we might pull the trigger. I know my scouts have a couple of very good strikers in their sights already... Still, this is probably the least urgent of our transfer needs, and we might delay any changes until January at the least and give Bustos another chance to live up to his supposed status as a star. Both here and in the left wing I'll prioritize players in their prime, since we already have developing youngsters in both positions and we don't want them to step on each other's toes for minutes. 

Jul 4th 2026

Our first sale of the window is confirmed today, as Mikhail Sukhoruchenko, that one Ukrainian center-back we signed on a whim a while ago, joins Kaiserslautern for a nominal fee plus 20% of future profits. Twenty-three already, it was clear the lad wasn't going to ever make it to the first team, so cashing out on him on his last year under contract was almost mandatory. He won't be the last to leave in similar circumstances.

Again, few surprises in the World Cup quarterfinals, although all four fixtures were extremely close-fought. Three of them ended in 1-0 wins for Portugal, France, and Belgium (a minor shock), while Brazil needed another penalty shootout to get past the Netherlands. Their reward for doing so is a semifinal matchup against France, while Portugal and Belgium will fight to reach the final of the tournament for the first time in their history.

Jul 6th 2026

Preseason gets started today and all the players report back ready to get the ball rolling.

Jul 7th 2026

Another departure of a formerly promising youngster who never took the step required to become a first team regular. Or well, he was a first team regular back in the 3.Liga, but never progressed beyond what he showed back then: Lorenz Knöferl leaves for Energie Cottbus, currently in the Regionalliga, for €170k upfront, €4.2k for each of his first ten league appearances, €21k if he scores 20 league goals, and a 20% of future profits. A decent haul for a player that looks extremely unlikely to ever make it past 3.Liga level, so not complaining one bit. A shame he didn't fulfill expectations, though, he used to be talked about in the same breath as the likes of Lang and Kretzschmar...

We replace former youth with current youth, and add yet another young midfielder to our roster. Yes, I know, but it's not often that we get the chance to pick up Dortmund's droppings, so to speak: Jurgen Van Santen, a 19yo German midfielder with lots of vision and technique plus a very strong physique, joins on a free transfer after being released by the current Bundesliga champions. As always with youngsters, his wages are small enough to be a non-issue, and he'll be loaned out as soon as possible so we can assess him in a playing environment.

Jul 8th 2026

Bourrier moves back to France to join National 2 side Vannes on loan until the end of the season. We'll see how he does there.

Well, it's going to be a Portuguese-speaking final in the World Cup in the end. Brazil got their widest result of the whole knockout stages against France with a clear 3-1 win, and Portugal got the exact same result against Belgium despite playing more than thirty minutes with only ten men on the pitch. First final for Portugal, and Brazil's chance for an absolutely epic win given the difficulty of the path they had to follow. Can't miss this one.

Jul 10th 2026

Another contract extension and improvement for one of our midfielders, Miranda this time. Same deal as the previous extensions, €27.5k weekly wages plus no release clauses make this a pretty good deal to prevent unwanted sales.

Jul 11th 2026

FC Hansa Rostock vs. TSV 1860 München (Friendly)

We start our preseason friendlies with the already traditional meeting with our affiliates from Rostock. We dominate from the get go, as is to be expected, but it takes us until the 24th to finally open the score thanks to a placed finish by 't Zand following a good touch from Rijkhoff. That's all we can manage in the first half, though, since our finishing isn't being exactly stellar today. Things improve with the second unit, and Bustos only needs nine minutes to turn a pass by Sapmaz into the 0-2. That's when good ol' complacency kicks in, however, and we only manage one more goal near the end of the game, courtesy of Sapmaz, then go to immediately concede the 1-3 to make up for it. Not a bad run-out to get things rolling.

FC Hansa Rostock 1 (Thomas Rotfuss 90+1)
TSV 1860 München 3 (Shiloh 't Zand 24, Nahuel Bustos 54, Can Sapmaz 90)

* * *

We missed the third place playoff of the World Cup while we were busy with our friendly, and thus had to wait until later to learn of the very last minute heroics performed by Pavard, scoring the only goal of the match against Belgium in the fourth minute of injury time. Tough luck for the Belgians, and a decent consolation price for previous champions France.

Jul 12th 2026

Franzke gets another loan, this time with a 2.Bundesliga side like Wiesbaden where he's still expected to play an important part. Let's hope he avoids any serious injuries this time...

The World Cup final was worth the entry fee, that's for sure: after a goalless first half in which Brazil had the ball and Portugal most of the chances, Richarlison gave the Canarinha the lead five minutes into the second. Two minutes later, though, Matheus Cunha picked his second yellow and Portugal seized the game for real then, bombarding Ederson's goal until Rafael Leao scored the 1-1 in the 80th minute, then substitute striker Vitinha completed the comeback three minutes before full time to give Portugal their first World Cup ever. A huge shame for Brazil, but their luck ran out in the worst possible moment. Also somewhat hilarious that this first win for Portugal comes in the first tournament after Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement, heh. The man must be fuming wherever he is... Mbappé grabbed himself another Golden Ball award ahead of Bruno Fernandes and Ederson, Diogo Costa was picked as the best goalkeeper, and Germany's Karim Adeyemi finished as the top goalscorer with eight goals, ahead of Haaland (six in three!) and Diogo Jota.

Jul 16th 2026

Yverdon Sport FC vs. TSV 1860 München (Friendly)

Our first friendly in Switzerland during our training camp is against Yverdon, from the Swiss Challenge League, and the team where our former youngster Nathan Wicht is playing now. With two defensive midfielders stuck in front of the defense we struggle to create danger at first, but soon 't Zand finds a way with a long pass ahead of Rijkhoff, who doesn't miss with his finish. Three minutes later the striker strikes (heh) again, finishing a cross by Gerometta from point-blank range, then grabs himself a hattrick in only 17 minutes with a good half-volley to Sánchez's cross. Rijkhoff continues his rampage by smashing in a cross by Miranda the keeper tried and failed to push away, then finally it's Maldini's turn to score, finishing with aplomb a nice through ball by the Argentinian midfielder. The second half starts with another goal, this time scored by Nmecha following a cross by Vagnoman, but after that we slow things down and keep the ball hidden, taking things easy until Ulrich spots Majetschak's run into the box twenty minutes into the half and assists his fellow midfielder for the seventh. That's more than enough for today.

Yverdon Sport FC 0
TSV 1860 München 7 (Julian Rijkhoff 13 16 17 25, Daniel Maldini 31, Felix Nmecha 46, Erik Majetschak 65)

Jul 18th 2026

FC Schaffhausen vs. TSV 1860 München (Friendly)

Another Challenge League team for our next friendly in Switzerland, and one that plays 3-5-2, just to annoy me personally. We take our time, looking for gaps and hoping our better overall quality will make up for the numbers in front of their goal, and finally score the 0-1 through Gerometta's cross and 't Zand's header in the 31st minute. Bustos makes it two early in the second half, well assisted by Majetschak, we hit the woodwork twice in quick succession, and then another cross from the right by Vagnoman ends with a defender pushing the ball into his own net. Vagnoman also creates the fourth, finished by Bustos with a placed header, and a bit the striker pass back from the penalty spot so Ulrich can shoot low and with precision for the final 0-5.

FC Schaffhausen 0
TSV 1860 München 5 (Shiloh 't Zand 31, Nahuel Bustos 48 67, Louis Lurvink 63og, Laurin Ulrich 72)

Jul 20th 2026

Well then, that's one way to make us start getting serious in the transfer market: Augsburg come with a €3M offer for Nmecha, which also includes a 20% of future profits. The player seems interested and the fee matches his market value, so I'm more than happy to accept. Now to sign his replacement, ideally an improvement.

Jul 23rd 2026

FC Rapperswil-Jona vs. TSV 1860 München (Friendly)

Third and last friendly during our stay in the Alpine country, and third Challenge League opposition. And we've picked them well: Rapperswil don't play 3-5-2, but they do the next worst thing: two defensive midfielders in front of the defense. Maldini is the one to break through this time, burying a perfectly executed direct free kick into the net. Soon Sánchez assists Rijkhoff on the run so the striker can grab the second, then 't Zand makes it three after a great turnaround pass by Miranda. Maldini heads in a cross by Sánchez near the end of the first half to score the 0-4, but the second unit can't increase our lead further in the second half and the result doesn't move again.

FC Rapperswil-Jona 0
TSV 1860 München 4 (Daniel Maldini 14 45, Julian Rijkhoff 17, Shiloh 't Zand 23)

Jul 24th 2026

Nmecha confirms his €3M transfer to Augsburg after two solid if unspectacular years in the Bundesliga with us. Never one of our stars, he did a decent job at providing goals and assists from the left, but never quite made himself the undisputed owner of the position despite being a key element in our survival during the 24/25 season. Now he takes a step back into the 2.Bundesliga where he's expected to shine brighter and bring our rivals back to the top as quickly as possible. A decent profit for a player in his last year of contract and who joined us on a free transfer.

Jul 25th 2026

Young Rung is the first victim of our preseason, although thankfully his injury is pretty mild: pulled ankle ligaments, a bit over a week of recovery and he should be fine.

Jul 26th 2026

Looks like our ball was raring to go in the DFB Pokal first round draw, since it was pulled the very first. Bad thing, too, because that means an unusually tough tie this early in the competition: Wiesbaden, just promoted to the 2.Bundesliga, and Franzke's team on loan for this season. Just watch him score against us... Looks like there won't be a 0-12 demolition this time around.

Jul 28th 2026

Just before our friendly for today (which thankfully will be held here in Munich) Nmecha's replacement arrives at the club's offices to sign his new contract. Coming from Olympiacos, 25yo Portuguese winger Marcos Paulo joins in a transfer worth €3M, plus €250k after 50 games and €20k for each of his first 10 games with us, and a 30% of future profits. A quality player who nonetheless has spent his last few years coming off the bench for teams like Atlético and the very same Olympiacos, he's a technical player with many strong points and no obvious weaknesses, capable of creating his own chances through his great dribbling ability while also being a good finisher and assist provider. Capable of playing anywhere from midfield to upfront, in the center or on the left side of the attack, he is a straight-up replacement for Nmecha which should give us a boost in quality in that area of the pitch. He comes with €32.5k weekly wages and has a €11M release clause for Champions League sides.

Young midfielder Djè Bi brings the dose of bad news today after sustaining a broken collarbone in training. This serious injury will keep him out of contention for at least two months, not ideal considering he was supposed to leave on loan before the end of the transfer window.

* * *

Türkgücü München vs. TSV 1860 München (Friendly)

Back home after the training camp, and we don't go too far for our next friendly, paying a courtesy visit to our neighbors from Türkgücü, still stuck in the Regionalliga after their relegation a couple of seasons ago. Marcos Paulo debuts right after his arrival at Munich, and we proceed to create and miss a good amount of chances in the first minutes of the game, including a free kick by Maldini into the woodwork. Miranda finally scores the 0-1, tapping in a good pass over the defense by Entrena, then Marcos Paulo bags his first assist with 1860 and allows Maldini to score with a powerful effort from the edge of the box that bends the keeper's hands. The Italian then hits wood *again* with another free kick, but immediately scores the 0-3 after another great pass by Marcos Paulo, who then goes to complete an assist hattrick with a cross towards Entrena's header for the fourth. Bustos adds a fifth halfway through the second half after a nice touch from Majetschak, then transforms a penalty on reserve Morgalla to make it 0-6, completing the rout.

Türkgücü München 0
TSV 1860 München 6 (Matías Miranda 15, Daniel Maldini 30 36, Antonio Entrena 41, Nahuel Bustos 68 71p)

Jul 29th 2026

Looks like the World Cup has brought a lot of changes in both national teams and clubs. For matters close to home, Thomas Tuchel left Germany after their quarterfinal exit and was replaced by recent Bundesliga winner with Dortmund Marco Rose. And look who's back to replace him: Jürgen Klopp returns to Dortmund! He left Liverpool in summer 2024 to take charge of Juventus, but was sacked before the end of the season. Since then he's spent one year in Porto, and now he's back where he became the gegenpress mastermind he's known as today.

[Dalbeider]

Aug 1st 2026

One month left in the transfer window and it doesn't look likely that we'll find a full back that fits our needs and our budget. All the available ones are either too expensive, too old, or don't improve on what we have in any significant way. Looks like we'll be saving money and using Rung as an emergency backup, then, unless something drastic happens.

Aug 2nd 2026

TSV 1860 München vs. AJ Auxerre (Friendly)

Last friendly of the preseason, bringing just-promoted Ligue 1 side Auxerre to Grünwalder Strasse to see how we measure up to them. We start dominating and creating danger, and soon Maldini adds a third shot into the woodwork in two consecutive half-games, this one with a point-blank header into the crossbar. Rijkhoff does it better, chipping the ball over the keeper to make Miranda's pass into space good for the 1-0. Another assist by Miranda turns into the 2-0 thanks to a placed finish by new guy Marcos Paulo only two minutes later, but then Auxerre immediately claw one back in their first shot of the game with a good tap-in by Laura after a cross from the right wing. There are no more goals until the second half, when Sapmaz finishes with ease a cross by 't Zand to restore our two-goal lead, more than deserved given how thoroughly we're dominating the game. The Dutch winger scores a second assist with a first touch pass to Bustos for the 4-1, but eleven minutes before the end Auxerre once again score in one of their rare attacks, this time in a corner kick headed in on the near post by Nicolaisen. That's the last goal in a very entertaining end to the summer.

TSV 1860 München 4 (Julian Rijkhoff 19, Marcos Paulo 20, Can Sapmaz 61, Nahuel Bustos 66)
AJ Auxerre 2 (Gaëtan Laura 23, Rasmus Nicolaisen 79)

Aug 9th 2026

SV Wehen Wiesbaden vs. TSV 1860 München (DFB Pokal, 1st round)

And into the fray we go once again. This should be time for a relaxing outing against some Regionalliga side, but this year we start things with a bang against Wiesbaden, currently dead last in the 2.Bundesliga after two defeats in their first two fixtures. Funnily enough, Entrena's one and only year out on loan while in Nürnberg was spent in Wiesbaden, so he'll be able to see a few known faces today. Regardless, we should be winning this at a canter, but we have to take it seriously.

* * *

WIESBADEN (4-4-1-1): Tim Boss (GK); Yavus Günal (DR), Bjarke Jacobsen (DCr), Florian Karstens (DCl), Manuel Kober (DL); Fabio Kaufmann (MR), Helmut Franzle (MCr), Emanuel Taffertschofer (MCl), Robert Herrmann (ML); Mohammed Aryee (AMC); Okyere Wriedt (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Valentino Quintero (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Tjark Rung (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Antonio Entrena (MCr), Laurin Ulrich (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Shiloh 't Zand (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

Lots of youngsters in the lineup today, including Rung on left back, but not Hadzic, who's nursing a minor injury. Franzke starts for Wiesbaden, who keep the same 4-4-1-1 formation they used back when we played them in the 3.Liga over four years ago, and even some of the players like Jacobsen and Taffertschofer. We start dominating, as is to be expected, and it's also not particularly surprising that Sapmaz sends our first chance wide with a left-footed shot from inside the box. We're not exactly flowing in attack today, though, and it takes until the 20th minute for us to try again, this time with Sapmaz finding the target but also Boss's flipping save.

Wiesbaden's first shot at goal comes one minute later, a low attempt from the edge of the box by Herrmann that Quintero saves with no trouble at all. That seems to wake us up, and soon it's our turn through Ulrich assisting and Rijkhoff finishing, although finding the keeper in the way again. The young midfielder then connects with Sapmaz with another great pass, but the winger also fails to get past Boss, his shot deflected clear. After that our attack seems to vanish again, though, and we end the half with Quintero saving down to prevent a dangerous shot by Aryee from becoming the 1-0 for Wiesbaden. Not a particularly bright performance so far.

HALF TIME - 0-0

Things remain dangerously ineffective in our attacking plays for the first ten minutes of the second half, with only a blocked shot by Sapmaz being worth of mention. Marcos Paulo debuts off the bench after replacing a very disappointing 't Zand, and he soon tries luck with a direct free kick from afar that goes wide, but not by much. Then, in the 67th minute, a quick passing play between all of our midfield ends with a ball into space towards the left side of the box, where Rung appears unmarked and crosses towards the center. Jacobsen intercepts, but with the worst of lucks: ball over the goal line and 0-1 for us. A gift, but we'll take it.

Miranda and Vagnoman join the game after the goal, and we continue pushing because a one-goal lead is almost nothing in this sport. Boss needs to punch the ball away when Vuskovic tries luck with a flat bullet from distance, just before Franzke forgets he's supposed to try and stop us from scoring and barges Miranda inside the box for a clear-cut penalty kick. Debutant Marcos Paulo takes the kick, but Boss guesses right and dives to his left to tip the ball wide. Bad omen... Rijkhoff heads the resulting corner kick wide with thirteen minutes left on the clock, then Carstens does the exact same thing on the opposite goal three minutes later. We need to close this game.

We eventually do so, with only three minutes remaining, and in the most unlikely of ways: Miranda takes a free kick on the right side of our attack, and Rung appears out of nowhere to hit the cross first time and beat Boss to score the 0-2. Key impact from the kid, who scores his first senior goal and puts the tie firmly inside the bag. Boss saves a final shot by Ulrich and a header by Rijkhoff in injury time to keep the distance short, and the game ends in a short but richly deserved win for us.

* * *

SV Wehen Wiesbaden 0
TSV 1860 München 2 (Bjarke Jacobsen 67og, Tjark Rung 87)

- - -

Never thought I'd say Rung was the hero of the first round, or that we'd even need a hero in the first round to begin with, but here we are. We should've scored much more than those two, but the kid was key in both goals, first "assisting" for the own goal and then finishing the second himself. The game looked scary for a minute or so, particularly after that missed penalty, but in reality we were always in control and the goals would've come sooner or later.
 

[Dalbeider]

Aug 13th 2026

Another youngster departs: 18yo goalkeeper Samuel Urwantschky, who once looked like the next-gen Kretzschmar (fun to type name and all) but whose perceived potential has dropped each season, moves to Wolfsberger from the Austrian Bundesliga in exchange for €110k upfront, €37k after 20 league appearances, and a 40% of future profits. Fringe prospects leaving some benefit behind, and even the potential of further income down the line, is always a good thing in my book.

Urko keeps being unlucky with injuries: an accidental collision in training causes a broken rib, and the Spaniard will be out between six and eight weeks after being treated by a specialist. Let's hope Vuskovic remains healthy...

Aug 15th 2026

No luck for us in the DFB Pokal this season: the second round draw pairs us against Freiburg, no less. At least it's at home, which gives us some hopes of actually reaching the board's goal for the competition. Worth mentioning there's a Leipzig-Hertha tie in this round, ow.

* * *

Hertha BSC vs. TSV 1860 München (Bundesliga, 1/34)

Looks like the manager roulette this summer hit Hertha, too, since they lost Emery after he was appointed Spain's manager and signed Luciano Spalletti in his place. And then Luis Enrique took over from Spalletti in Shakhtar. Crazy. Regardless, Hertha proved last year that they're one of the strongest teams in the division with their excellent final third place, so this is a doozy of a season starter for us. Let's see if we can salvage something out of this and start the season strong.

* * *

HERTHA (4-3-3): Ersin Destanoglu (GK); Guille Rosas (DR), Alejandro Francés (DCr), Omar Alderete (DCl), Fredrik Bjorkan (DL); Julian Weigl (DM), Florian Neuhaus (MCr), Lucas Tousart (MCl); Brais Méndez (AMR), Suat Serdar (AML), Nemanja Motika (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Erik Majetschak (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

New manager or not, it looks like Spalletti has kept Emery's 4-3-3 from last season, and their team looks quite familiar as a result. So does ours, actually, with only a handful of changes since our last meeting in the cup semis last season. Despite starting with a more conservative outlook than usual the first shot is ours thanks to a turnaround attempt by Stjepanovic that sails over the bar. A corner kick allows us another chance through Rijkhoff's header, wide this time, and we do well to hold the ball and keep Hertha in their own half in the first minutes of the game.

Of course it doesn't last and things even out pretty quickly, but we still maintain a good presence near Hertha's goal, and Rijkhoff sends another dangerous header narrowly wide in the 22nd minute, this time after a cross by Vagnoman. Hertha remain strangely passive while we strike again through Miranda, who runs into space and catches Marcos Paulo's pass, but then sends the finish straight at Destanoglu. Another save by the keeper prevents a goal by Maldini, with Majetschak providing the pass this time, in what becomes the last chance in a surprisingly one-sided first half.

HALF TIME - 0-0

Hertha finally show up near Kretzschmar's goal at the start of the second half, with Serdar heading wide a cross by Rosas, then chain a couple of half-chances with shots from distance and crosses that don't go anywhere dangerous. We're clearly losing steam, so 't Zand and Bustos come in to revitalize our attack, then Entrena does the same to give our midfield a bit of extra energy. The game slows down in the meantime, and now neither team seem to be able to find a way through the other's defense.

That finally changes in the 69th minute, when Maldini times perfectly a run past Bjorkan and gathers the ball from Miranda to shoot into another save by Destanoglu. It's an isolated mirage, though, and the game goes back into the lull it's been mired into for most of the second half. A wide shot by Tousart in Hertha's most dangerous approach of the game (which isn't saying much) comes in the 81st to break the monotony a tiny little bit, and that's it for today. Good point for us, bad show for the fans.

* * *

Hertha BSC 0
TSV 1860 München 0

- - -

Good result indeed, stealing a point from such a difficult away game is always nice. That said, we could have stolen all three if we'd been half-decent with our finishing, so it's a bit of a shame. Good defensive display in general, and a good base to build upon for further trips outside of our stadium.

[Dalbeider]

Aug 22nd 2026

TSV 1860 München vs. 1.FSV Mainz (Bundesliga, 2/34)

Mainz's welcome party after their immediate return to the Bundesliga didn't go exactly as they'd wish, being on the wrong end of a 4-0 destruction by the champions, but I'm sure they weren't hoping to win that game. No, they probably focused more on this one, since the last they saw of us was barely better than themselves. They're in for a surprise...

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Antonio Entrena (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)
MAINZ (4-3-2-1): Nico Mantl (GK); Joe Scally (DR), Omar Rekik (DCr), Márton Dárdai (DCl), Mathias Farnes Gabrielsen (DL); Syver Aas (MCr), Adrian Fein (MC), Eduard Löwen (MCl); Sebastian Vasiliadis (AMCr), Wassim Essanoussi (AMCl); Paulos Abraham (ST)

* * *

Mainz haven't changed much formation-wise, same strange Christmas tree formation than when they relegated one year plus some change ago, but their lineup is all new since our last meeting. We rotate the squad quite heavily, just to keep all players involved in these initial fixtures and see what kind of form they are in. We start the game in style, with Entrena pumping the ball into the box from deep and Bustos volleying it into the crossbar and over. Only one minute later it's Miranda who finds Sapmaz inside the box with a cute little through ball, and the winger doesn't waste the chance and shoots around Mantl to score the 1-0.

The visitors try to get back into the game quickly with a high header by Abraham to a cross from the left by Essanoussi, but other than that we remain firmly in control and keep them locked inside their own half, patiently looking for another gap. Marcos Paulo is the one to find it, and his curling shot beats the keeper but is bounced back by the far post, making it two out of three for us today. Then it's Bustos with a direct free kick that *also* goes into the woodwork. We should get a bonus goal at this point, this must be harder than scoring...

We remain patient despite our bad luck, and it finally pays off in the 32nd: long pass by Sapmaz towards Bustos's run, and the striker makes short work of Mantl with a powerful finish and scores the 2-0. Three minutes later the keeper does much better to tip wide a half-volley by Sapmaz, Miranda then gets a dangerous chance blocked by Dárdai, and in the 40th Gerometta passes over the defense and into Sapmaz's path and the winger completes an outstanding first half by blasting it in full power for the 3-0. We still have time for a fourth in injury time, and it's a doozy: Marcos Paulo drops to the right to gather a clearance, crosses low alonside the edge of the box, and Entrena hits it first time and almost tears the back of the net a new one. A fantastic ending to a fantastic first half.

HALF TIME - 4-0

The second half starts with a couple of minor knocks to Gerometta and Vuskovic, which prompts us to replace them to prevent any further damage. Vagnoman and Ulrich enter the fray, moving Entrena to the anchor, and we continue dominating the game with the same clarity, but with less attacking prowess now that our lead is so large. A corner kick in the 61st almost brings the fifth twice, though, but Mantl redeems himself with a fantastic double stop to Lang and Bustos. Shortly afterwards Rung makes his league debut, replacing a very solid Sánchez.

With the foot very much off the gas, we control the game and let minutes pass, with only Rung providing some excitement with a cross that Bustos lets pass so Sapmaz can maybe get a hattrick, although he's ultimately denied by a well positioned Mantl. Mainz don't provide much entertainment for their fans either, and the game basically ends there, with no further chances on either goal and no other incidents worth noting. A placid and pleasant victory.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 4 (Can Sapmaz 4 40, Nahuel Bustos 32, Antonio Entrena 45+4)
1.FSV Mainz 0

- - -

Yep, something tells me Mainz are gonna struggle a lot this year... Fantastic first half, with Sapmaz looking absolutely on fire and an absolute belter by Entrena for the end of season highlight reels, and then a low effort second half in which our lead was never threatened. May all home games be like this.

The only dark spot were the injuries, and while Vuskovic's was nothing serious, Gerometta pulled his hamstring and will be out of contention for at least two weeks, most likely a bit more. More chances for Rung in coming weeks, then, the kid looked really solid today too.

[Dalbeider]

Aug 25th 2026

Well deserved appearances in the Team of the Week for Sapmaz and Entrena.

Aug 26th 2026

The most promising player in last year's youth batch, Markus Kurt, broke his leg today in only his second match with the U19s this season. He'll miss at least half a year, a pretty serious setback for someone so young.

Aug 27th 2026

More injuries, but now in the first team: 't Zand will be out of contention for a couple of weeks with the usual pulled knee ligaments.

Aug 28th 2026

Time for international callups once again, with Hadzic and Stjepanovic retaining their places in Bosnia's and Serbia's senior sides, while Vuskovic is demoted to the Croatia U21s for now. Sapmaz also gets his first callup with Turkey U21, or with any national team ever at any level for that matter.

Aug 29th 2026

RasenBallsport Leipzig vs. TSV 1860 München (Bundesliga, 3/34)

The most surprising fact about this new meeting with Leipzig is that we're ahead of them in the table! Their heavy 4-0 loss to Dortmund last week has given them something to think about, and they certainly don't look likely to challenge for the Bundesliga like they did two seasons ago, but they're still a very strong team, most certainly a top five in the nation, and we'll do really well to get anything out of this game.

* * *

RB LEIPZIG (4-2-3-1): Alexander Nübel (GK); Tyler Adams (DR), Kamil Piatkowski (DCr), Felix Uduokhai (DCl), Angeliño (DL); Paulo Bernardo (MCr), Jakub Moder (MCl); Joao Mario (AMR), Andrew Moran (AMC), Musa Barrow (AML); Fabio Carvalho (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Erik Majetschak (MCr), Antonio Entrena (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)

* * *

Couple of mandatory changes for us today due to injuries, plus the usual center-back rotation and a chance for a debut for youngster Schwabl off the bench. Lepizig keep the core from the last couple of seasons and have added a few extra pieces to play with, like Irish attacking midfielder Moran. He soon proves his worth with a great assist towards Joao Mario, who runs at Kretzschmar and chips the ball over him to score the 1-0 with only five minutes played.

Leipzig's high pressure remains a nuisance like almost always we play them, and soon it provokes a bad pass by Majetschak that Carvalho turns into another chance, well tipped over by Kretzschmar. After a while we manage to plug the holes and not gift them more chances, but we still struggle to get anywhere near their goal, let alone creating danger. Kretzschmar still has work to do, going down well to turn around the post a dangerous finish by Paulo Bernardo in the 28th minute, following a nod by Uduokhai in a set piece. That same corner kick becomes the 2-0, though, as Joao Mario outjumps his marker in the far post and heads it in almost unopposed.

The siege continues with a high header by Barrow, who for once isn't tearing us a new one just yet. We finally chain a good number of passes together in the 33rd minute and end up creating a beautiful play that Bustos finishes well, but not well enough to beat Nübel. Joao Mario answers with another run into space to gather the ball from Barrow, although this time Kretzschmar answers well and holds the ball after a good save. Bustos creates another chance for us assisting Maldini, but the Italian's finish is horrible and it all goes to waste. Another save by Kretzschmar prevents a nice-looking shot by Moran from becoming the third, then Carvallo sends over a clear-cut chance in injury time after Hadzic misses an easy header. Two down at half time, but it could've been worse.

HALF TIME - 2-0

We look a bit more dangerous in the second half, launching quick counters for Bustos to run into, and one of those almost ends in a goal that only Uduokhai's timely block prevents. Leipzig still remain in control, though, and Carvalho soon reminds us why with a good run through the center that only Kretzschmar can stop. Sapmaz and Rijkhoff replace our two wing attackers a bit later, then it's Miranda for Majetschak to complete our substitutions. Meanwhile Leipzig keep looking for a third, and soon our keeper needs to stop another header, this time by Olise.

In the 70th minute, after a long period of calm, we decide the time is right to strike: Sapmaz sends a ball into space from the right and Rijkhoff outruns Uduokhai, rounds the keeper, and scores the 2-1 with more than enough time left to believe in a comeback. Of course that's when Leipzig also decide that enough is enough, and two substitutes combine to kill our reaction dead: Agu crosses from the right and Olise loops a perfectly placed header over Kretzschmar and into the corner to restore a two-goal lead for the home team. Barrow almost scores his customary goal next, finishing a quick counterattack with a placed shot into the root of the post.

Leipzig proceed to keep us at bay until injury time, when Bustos breaks in from the left, finds Rijkhoff inside the box, the striker gets his finish parried by Nübel, but Miranda pounces on the rebound and scores the 3-2. It's probably too late now, but we still give it our best try: cross by Sapmaz into the heart of the box, Miranda gets ahead of his market to sneak in a cheeky punting finish, but Nübel is there to save and hold the ball and deny our last chance to grab a miracle draw.

* * *

RasenBallsport Leipzig 3 (Joao Mario 5 28, Michael Olise 75)
TSV 1860 München 2 (Julian Rijkhoff 70, Matías Miranda 90+1)

- - -

Very fun game, particularly in the second half, even though in the end we got nothing out of it. Our substitutions worked wonders today, but the 2-1 was answered too quickly and the 3-2 came too late to count. We actually finished the game with a better xG than Leipzig, funnily enough: we had less chances, but they were much more dangerous overall. Regardless, a very decent showing against one of the strongest teams in the nation, which gives us hope of at least repeating last year's successes.

[Dalbeider]

Aug 31st 2026

Transfer deadline day! No incoming deals expected, but anything could happen, particularly if we end up receiving any bids for our players and we need to scramble for a replacement. We'll also be trying to offload some of our youngsters on loan.

Well, four asterisks. The worst offer came at the worst possible moment: Köln trigger Entrena's release clause for clubs in continental competitions with a €6.5M offer. We recently failed to offer him a new deal, so now his agent won't even listen to a counteroffer, which means we're losing our best young player on transfer deadline day. Yay. The transfer is confirmed just a couple of hours later, much to everyone's dismay at the club. Thankfully we have replacements in our sight, now it's a matter of actually getting them to sign on the dotted line... As for Entrena, I predicted his stay with us would be short, but I wasn't ready to see him depart this quickly and to a team like Köln, who really are milking their European qualification for all it's worth here. Good thing is, his new contract has a €9.25M release clause for teams in the Champions League, so we know what we need to do if we want him back!

We get a small injection of money as Lorent Tolaj, former reserve striker, is sold from Neuchatel to Basel for €2.7M, netting us a nice 20% of profits totalling €300k.

Entrena's replacement comes from Lyon, and his name is Florent Da Silva. Twenty-three years old, so a more ready-made player than Entrena but still with lots of room for improvement, Da Silva has already started for Lyon in the Ligue 1 with success and comes to give us the rotation option in our midfield that the youngster used to provide with a similar level of quality. More of a pure creator than Entrena, Da Silva has great vision, passing, and technique, but not as much finishing nor defensive presence. A different kind of player, but still quality, and for a somewhat reasonable price: €7.5M, no clauses attached, and no release clauses either on his €21k per week contract. Not too bad for an emergency deal which wasn't even our first option.

The loans just don't seem to want to happen. Neither of our youngsters is attracting any interest, and Hansa doesn't seem to want them either, so it looks like we're stuck with them until January at the earliest. We even try to tranfer Omari Forson out, since he looks to have regressed since his arrival, but he doesn't want to hear about moving. Sigh.

Things happen very quickly in the last hour of the transfer window: first, Hansa come with a loan offer for Forson, who seems reluctant to accept at first, but eventually agrees to the move. Then Darmstadt ask for Rung on loan. We're obviously hesitant since he's been playing well in the opportunities he's had so far and we'd need to find a replacement in record time, but we accept the bid for now and immediately pull the trigger on a €650k bid for Ivorian 23yo full back Franck Yoan, currently playing for Kisvárda in Hungary, as our new emergency backup. Sadly the paperwork can't be completed in time, so Yoan's transfer is cancelled and, as a result, we also cancel Rung's loan to Darmstadt. And *then*, with Rung already unhappy about his cancelled move, Paderborn come in with a last second loan bid for him. The kid's gonna end up hating my guts, but I can do nothing but reject the offer.

Sep 1st 2026

After the flurry of activity at the end of the transfer window, back to normal stuff: Kretzschmar in the Team of the Week.

Sep 4th 2026

Assist for Vuskovic with Croatia U21 against Greece, while Stjepanovic plays the whole game with Serbia in a 1-2 defeat to the Czech Republic in the Nations League.

Sep 5th 2026

To prevent another Entrena incident, and because he's our best young (and possibly best overall) player by a mile now that the German midfielder is gone, we quickly agree a new deal for Vuskovic, including a big pay rise to €32.5k per week, a further agreed increase to €44k for when he plays his fifth senior international game with Croatia (so sooner rather than later), and a release clause we can't get rid of, but which sees its value increase to €34M. Not bad.

Sep 12th 2026

TSV 1860 München (9th) vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf 1895 (15th) (Bundesliga, 4/34)

Not the best of starts for Fortuna so far, with only one point after three fixtures and looking like they're going to be embroiled in another relegation battle once again. This is the kind of match we should be winning given our current status as a mid-table team, but well aware that any slip-up could see us trading places with them in the blink of an eye.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Erik Majetschak (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
DÜSSELDORF (4-2-3-1): Florian Kastenmeier (GK); Benno Schmitz (DR), Christoph Klarer (DCr), Kevin Schlotterbeck (DCl), Pietro Beruatto (DL); Santiago Ascacibar (MCr), Levin Öztunali (MCl); Kevin Munz (AMR), Nilson Angulo (AMC), Ben Bobzien (AML); Gonçalo Ramos (ST)

***

Gerometta is back in the lineup and 't Zand in the bench following their latest injuries, while Da Silva gets his debut as a starter in our midfield. Fortuna look very much like their last season selves with a few personnel switches, most notably center-back Jesús Vallejo being completely out of the rotation and in the transfer list. We start the game on the offensive like we should, Vuskovic sending an early cross into the box for a header by Marcos Paulo that Kastenmeier saves effortlessly. Fortuna hit right back, though, with Lang missing an apparently easy header inside the box and gifting the chance to Munz, who sees Kretzschmar fly to tip over his half-volley.

We slowly push them back into their own half and start playing our possession game around their box, getting a handful of long shots in but with little danger. It takes a while, but in the 27th a good play down the right flank ends with Sapmaz crossing low towards Rijkhoff, and the striker shoots into a defender's legs, the bounce then hits Kastenmeier mid-dive, and the ball ends up rolling slowly into the net for a strange own goal.

After the goal we keep the pressure up and soon Majetschak goes really close with a narrowly high long shot after a steal right in front of Fortuna's box. The visitors slowly get back into the groove, though, and three minutes before half time Ramos controls a throw-in inside the box and assists Munz so the winger can just blast it past Kretzschmar and pull level. Our luck with the woodwork remains horrible, and we prove it again before the end of the first half when Rijkhoff sends the ball into the crossbar after gathering a bad clearance with Kastenmeier out of position. In the end, though, everything remains tied after forty-five minutes.

HALF TIME - 1-1

We start the second half just like the first: cross from the right and header by Marcos Paulo, this one over the bar. Another header by Sapmaz two minutes later finds its way into Kastenmeier's hands, but again a missed header by Stjepanovic allows Ramos to face Kretzschmar one on one, with the keeper performing one of his excellent reflex saves to prevent a serious scare. Then it's another cross and another header for us, this time Rijkhoff's and wide, while Munz does the same on the other end of the pitch and Kretzschmar saves without trouble. Ramos breaks the header streak once again with a good run through the center and a shot that Kretzschmar dives into and grabs with both hands.

Too much uncertainty for my tastes in this early second half, so we bring Miranda in for Da Silva to try and restore control. Soon Sánchez finds Rijkhoff with a low cross and the striker sees his finishe deflected over by Kastenmeier, right before 't Zand returns to action and Vagnoman takes over on the right back. In the 65th minute a long pass by Sánchez behind the defense leaves Sapmaz *and* Rijkhoff alone agains the keeper. The winger finishes first, Kastenmeier parries, and Rijkhoff takes the rebound unopposed to score the 2-1.

Fortuna can't seem to digest this goal well, and after six minutes without any push back Sapmaz performs a magic trick: the winger controls the ball, dribbles his way past Hack leaving him for dead, enters the box, faces Kastenmeier, and calmly places it past the keeper to double our lead. The kid is finally growing up and I like what I'm seeing of his adult self so far. Rijkhoff almost makes it four five minutes later with a low effort after a long pass by Vuskovic, but Kastenmeier manages to save it first and hold it on his second attempt. Seconds later Majetschak assists Miranda so the midfielder can increase our count of shots into the woodwork even further, hitting the crossbar again with the keeper already beat. Another chance for Miranda is met by Kastenmeier with a good save with only one minute left on the clock, and Ramos heads a corner kick into our own crossbar for a change in injury time, in what becomes the last chance of the match. Good, hard-fought win for us.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 3 (Florian Kastenmeier 27og, Julian Rijkhoff 65, Can Sapmaz 71)
Fortuna Düsseldorf 1895 1 (Kevin Munz 42)

- - -

Nice showing, and a nice result to go with it. We needed to take it one step further in the second half to end Fortuna's resistance, but we had that extra gear and we made good use of it. Also, remember that Sapmaz was one of the disappointments at the end of the previous season? Well, he's suddenly become our best player in these early fixtures, so it looks like he's finally making the jump from promise to reality. Let's see if he can keep it up.

Elsewhere, both Bayern and Dortmund draw their games at home, the latter against Nürnberg, our next opposition. Bayern's draw against Hertha combined with their defeat last week in Leverkusen (new leaders, four out of four so far) and our slightly better goal difference means we're once again the best Munich team in the Bundesliga! For at least one week!

[Dalbeider]

Sep 15th 2026

Double presence in the Team of the Week this time, with Manu Sánchez and Sapmaz.

Sep 18th 2026

1.FC Nürnberg (12th) vs. TSV 1860 München (4th) (Bundesliga, 5/34)

Week one of being the best team in Munich. And yep, fourth. It won't last, but I will enjoy the view from this high up for as long as I can. As for Nürnberg, they're still winless in the season, but the last of their three draws so far has been in Dortmund, which gives them a lot more credibility. They're still candidates for the drop, though, so this looks like a decent chance to get an away result and keep our good start going.

* * *

NÜRNBERG (4-4-2): Christian Mathenia (GK); Nicholas Mickelson (DR), Armel Bella-Kotchap (DCr), Maksim Paskotsi (DCl), Jannes Horn (DL); Facundo Pellistri (MR), Mads Bidstrup (MCr), Ilai Madmon (MCl), Facundo Farías (ML); Nicholas Gioacchini (STr), Manuel Wintzheimer (STl)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Matías Miranda (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Shiloh 't Zand (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)

* * *

Still sticking to their 4-4-2, I see, although with some shiny new pieces like ex-Man City forward Farías. Sapmaz gets a second consecutive start as a reward for his good performances in this early fixtures, while 't Zand gets his first start after his injury and Da Silva remains in the lineup to keep building up fitness and chemistry. The match starts with both teams almost equal in possession and trading minor blows, including a good-looking header by Bustos that Mathenia grabs out of the air with a nice fly.

Things continue tightly contested and with the keepers not having too much work for the first half hour, but in the 29th minute a ball lost in midfield leads to a quick pass from Pellistri to Wintzheimer and the striker launches an absolute howitzer from 25 yards away to score the 1-0 for Nürnberg. But only two minutes later it's our turn: Miranda sees Sapmaz's movement into the box and pumps the ball ahead of the winger, who hits it before it drops and draws the game, keeping his streak going for a bit longer. And after those two quickfire goals, nothing more until the end of the half.

HALF TIME - 1-1

The second half starts with silliness: Miranda takes a free kick from deep with a long ball into the box, Mickelson completely mistimes his jump to clear it, the ball sails over his head and past Mathenia, who obviously wasn't expecting it to go straight to his goal, and well, that's the 1-2. We take control after that, only allowing Nürnberg to hit back with an individual run by Wintzheimer that ends in a shot blocked by an excellent Hadzic. What else is new.

Soon it's time for substitutions, and a chance for youngsters Ulrich and Rung to impress once again. Marcos Paulo comes in a bit later on the left side of our attack, while both attacks struggle to create any new chances once again, with only Sapmaz trying his luck with a wide shot from distance in the 68th minute. Bustos also tries something similar after a good long pass by Rung, but his shot goes clearly over. On the other end of the pitch a cross by Pellistri is met by Farías with a downward header, but Kretzschmar dives well and smothers the ball with his usual quality.

The following minutes are tense, still without much danger but with a quick succession of yellow cards to both sides. Seven minutes before the end we get a serious scare when a corner taken by Farías is headed by Mickelson into the crossbar and over, the woodwork for once working in our favor. Kretzschmar then has to tip wide a well-taken direct free kick by Wintzheimer, which we answer with a great backheel pass by Ulrich towards Marcos Paulo inside the box, his shot being saved by Mathenia in the end. Then it's Mickelson crossing towards the right side of the box so Pellistri hits it first time and Kretzschmar deflects it wide once again. A well timed block by Vuskovic prevents another chance for Wintzheimer in injury time, and with that the game ends and we steal the three points away with a smile.

* * *

1.FC Nürnberg 1 (Manuel Wintzheimer 29)
TSV 1860 München 2 (Can Sapmaz 31, Matías Miranda 48)

- - -

Lucky win, but we take those and laugh all the way home. Miranda's goal was an absolute fluke and Nürnberg more than deserved a draw in the final minutes, but our defense held with our always excellent pair of young center-backs on song, and time did the rest. Not our best performance by any means, though, and we'll have to improve for when luck is not on our side. Sapmaz remains in cheats enabled mode, and long may it continue. Bayern win, but only by one against ten-men Mainz, so we remain ahead. Week two and counting!

[Dalbeider]

Sep 22nd 2026

Miranda's turn to make the Team of the Week.

Sep 24th 2026

We'll be without Bustos for about a month after the forward twisted his ankle in training. Rijkhoff seems to have started in good form, so it shouldn't be too dramatic.

Sep 27th 2026

TSV 1860 München (3rd) vs. Sport-Club Freiburg (6th) (Bundesliga, 6/34)

Third. Still, other than the Leipzig game, this might be the toughest match we've played so far. Freiburg are tied with us on points right now, and that's after losing to Dortmund 2-3 last week, meaning they've only conceded a draw (against Union Berlin, to be fair) otherwise. They're also our next cup rivals, so this will be a decent test of what we're likely to find in almost exactly one month.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Erik Majetschak (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
FREIBURG (4-2-3-1): Pontus Dahlberg (GK); Felix Passlack (DR), Amos Pieper (DCr), Eric Martel (DCl), Christian Günter (DL); Jhon Solis (MCr), Maximilian Eggestein (MCl); Marco Richter (AMR), Matías Palacios (AMC), Liam Millar (AML), Nicolai Skoglund (ST)

* * *

A rest for Sapmaz today, or rather, a chance for Maldini to start and show he can keep up with the youngster. Otherwise we field our theoretically strongest eleven to face a Freiburg team that doesn't pull any punches from the get go. We manage to survive their initial onslaught unscathed, though, and it's soon our turn to start attacking. Marcos Paulo is the first to test Dahlberg with a placed shot from outside the box that the keeper saves well, which Freiburg then answer with a route one play towards Skoglund's head so the striker can nod it to Millar, who shoots into the sidenetting. Promising start so far.

Another curler by Millar goes over by a couple of feet in the 18th minute following a bad clearance by Lang, and while Freiburg have most of possession so far, the match looks quite evenly matched. Our attacking moves keep running into some defender or another at the deciding moment, except for a beautiful shot into the top corner by Marcos Paulo that Dahlberg flies to tip wide. That corner kick ends in a double chance for Lang, first with his header blocked by the keeper, and then on the rebound with his foot sending the ball wide by inches. In the 23rd Marcos Paulo completes a great start to the game with a nice assist to Rijkhoff, who nudges his way past Pieper and places the ball next to the post to score the 1-0.

The Portuguese winger continues being our best player of the pitch with a great jump and header to turn Vagnoman's cross into a great chance, well solved by Dahlberg once again. Things calm down for a while until the 37th, when Rijkhoff gets a run into the box interrupted by a last-second tackle, then Marcos Paulo fails to put the rebound into the empty net with his less good left foot. Another block, this time by Günter, prevents a shot by Maldini from reaching Dahlberg's domains, and we head into the showers ahead and feeling confident.

HALF TIME - 1-0

Things can't start any better in the second half: great run down the left flank by Sánchez and Marcos Paulo, and the latter assists Rijkhoff with perfect timing to break the offside line and allow the striker an easy finish for the 2-0. Freiburg have no immediate reaction, and in fact it's been a very long time since their last attempt at goal now. We start holding the ball more now, stealing Freiburg's only advantage in the game so far, and after a while Sapmaz and Da Silva come into the fray, followed a few minutes later by Gerometta.

After a long while just controlling the game, Sánchez launches a quick long pass towards Sapmaz to see if the winger still has his magic touch, but this time his finish is more "normal" and the ball sails over the target. Another chance falls to Sapmaz after a fantastic ball from deep by Vuskovic, and while he gets much closer this time, the ball still misses the goal by a foot or two and goes wide. A counter led by Rijkhoff ends in a shot by Miranda that Dahlberg catches without issue, and we're already in the final ten minutes of the game, with Freiburg still unable to test Kretzschmar even once.

That changes in the 83rd minute, when a cross from the left finds substitute striker Demirovic unmarked and Kretzschmar has to go down to deflect his finish wide. Two minutes later the keeper has more work to do, blocking a scary finish by Richter after another cross from the left side of Freiburg's attack. Third time falls to Demirovic again, and once again Kretzschmar responds with a fantastic parry. By now it's injury time already, though, and other than a high header by Rijkhoff in a corner kick there are no more goalscoring chances. A great result for us.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 2 (Julian Rijkhoff 23 47)
Sport-Club Freiburg 0

- - -

Fantastic. Other than the final ten minutes we completely dominated a Champions League-worthy side like Freiburg and turned that dominance into goals and points, and we did all this without needing to control possession. First really good game by Marcos Paulo with two assists to his name, and a notable performance by Kretzschmar in the final minutes to keep our lead intact until the end. To sweeten the deal even more, Bayern lose at home to Leipzig and now we're three points ahead. Week three is real, and week four is a distinct possibility. Most importantly, we're looking solid in the noble zone of the table so far. I hope we can make it last.

Edited May 17, 2023 by Dalbeider

[Dalbeider]

Sep 29th 2026

Kretzschmar gets another shout in the Team of the Week, amidst rumors about an imminent callup to the German national team due to his great form in recent games. And well, the fact that Neuer is not in the picture anymore...

Oct 2nd 2026

Well, no luck for Kretzschmar just yet. Just more senior callups for Hadzic and Stjepanovic, and another chance for a U21 debut with Turkey for Sapmaz.

Oct 3rd 2026

VfB Stuttgart (11th) vs. TSV 1860 München (3rd) (Bundesliga, 7/34)

Still third, still can't believe it. As for today's opposition, Stuttgart are one of those teams you never know what to expect when you play them. Expected midtable, achieving exactly that, and their last few matches include three defeats, a 1-1 draw to Wolfsburg, and a single win at home against Union Berlin, so not exactly brilliant. Yet somehow they always have the potential to hit the right keys in the right match and make you lose. We have to turn out today, that's for sure.

* * *

STUTTGART (4-2-3-1): Bartlomiej Dragowski (GK); Chris Richards (DR), Bafodé Diakité (DCr), Waldemar Anton (DCl), Fabian Nürnberger (DL); Engin Keskin (MCr), Orel Mangala (MCl); Darko Churlinov (AMR), Ismaël Gharbi (AMC), Moussa Djenepó (AML); M'Bala Nzola (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Tjark Rung (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Laurin Ulrich (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

First league start for Rung, and also a rare starting job for Ulrich in our midfield, together with new guy Da Silva who's still trying to get used to our tactics. A risky lineup, but I trust the kids to do the job. Sure, Stuttgart start the game with a header by Churlinov after winning the jump against Rung, but that's not a sign of things to come, I'm sure. They do keep pushing us in the initial minutes, with Djenepó getting close with a diving header in a corner kick nine minutes in that goes wide by inches. Our answer is a great play down the right wing ending in a cross by Gerometta and an awkward volley by Marcos Paulo that goes over the bar.

We slowly recover possession and start pushing back against Stuttgart's pressure, and soon a pass into space by Marcos Paulo allows Da Silva to run into the box and shoot, meeting Dragowski's rock-solid save. We also decide to skip on building up play from the back to try and dodge their high pressing lines, and it seems to work fine. Marcos Paulo sends another attempt from distance well wide in the 29th, but by now we seem to be the team in control of the situation.

The following minutes see little danger on either goal, but a bad pass by Gerometta two minutes before half time almost gifts the opener to Stuttgart. Thankfully Nzola's finish misses the target and goes wide, but the chance was huge. There's no time for more, and the game remains goalless after the first half.

HALF TIME - 0-0

A wide shot by Nürnberger six minutes into the second half is the first sign of life either attack shows after the break, followed with a high ball by Sapmaz after a good pass into space by Rijkhoff. Much scarier is Nzola's chance in the 59th minute after a perfectly timer through ball by Mangala which the striker wastes with a lob that ends up nestled on top of Kretzschmar's net. Soon Miranda and 't Zand come into the game, and we try a small experiment moving Da Silva to the anchor to play as a regista and pushing Vuskovic into a more advanced role.

A corner kick by Miranda is headed by Rijkhoff into Dragowski's hands immediately after, but that's not a real sign of change in our play. The goal kick that follows turns into disaster for us when Rung sees the ball bounce over his head and into Gharbi's feet, allowing the attacking midfielder to place his finish past Kretzschmar to score the 1-0. It could've been worse, too, because Djenepó had the perfect chance to make it 2-0 three minutes later after a fantastic pass from deep by Keskin, but ended up shooting wide by a couple of inches.

Experiment undone, we bring Majetschak in Da Silva's place and restore Vuskovic to his usual place in front of the defense. Instant impact: a pass by Sapmaz towards the inside of the box is intercepted by the defense, but Majetschak battles for the loose ball, steps in, and places it into the root of the post and in, drawing the game just a couple of minutes after coming in. And then we throw it away immediately: cross from the right wing by Keskin, Gerometta loses his man, and Churlinov heads it in for the 2-1. It almost happens again in the 79th, but this time Kretzschmar manages to dive down in time and tips the ball into the post and clear.

The following minutes are a mess of nerves, bad decisions, and terrible passes that lead to dangerous counters for Stuttgart, but we still manage to create something good with a cross by Sapmaz that Majetschak fails to deflect towards the goal in the 83rd minute. The winger then tries luck with a shot from the edge of the box that forces Dragowski into a fingertip save to deflect it over as we go full tilt and push forward with all we have looking for the draw. And it works: 86th minute, Majetschak passes in short to Sapmaz, the winger turns towards the goal and takes a cheeky bouncing shot from the edge of the box, and Dragowski can't reach it: 2-2 achieved. Churlinov almost does it again in injury time with a shot from distance that clips the post before going wide, then there's last second drama when substitue Massimo heads into the net a cross by Churlinov himself already six minutes past the 90th, but VAR rules it out due to a very tight offside position. In the end we go back to Munich happy with the point we stole.

* * *

VfB Stuttgart 2 (Ismaël Gharbi 63, Darko Churlinov 74)
TSV 1860 München 2 (Erik Majetschak 73, Can Sapmaz 86)

- - -

Okay, this one's on me. Neither Rung nor Ulrich had a particularly brilliant game today, with the young full back being put on the spotlight in Stuttgart's first goal. Majetschak's entrance was a game-changer, though, and we managed to steal a point in a game we clearly deserved to lose, particularly in a very poor first part of the second half. Yet another goal for Sapmaz, too, this kid's been touched by an angel. We drop points, but at least our unbeaten run keeps going and we guarantee another week ahead of Bayern, even after they destroyed dead-last Fortuna 1-5. Also, Dortmund's first defeat of the season away to Köln makes the top of the table look really tight all of a sudden.

[Dalbeider]

Oct 4th 2026

Oh right, my contract runs out at the end of this season. I completely forgot. Good of the board to remind me with a call to discuss a new deal, I guess. The offer (accepted in the blink of an eye, of course) is for four more years at €26k per week, which means there's still quite a few players in the squad that earn more than I do, heh. Oh well, I don't mind, we're not here for the money after all.

Oct 6th 2026

Both of our goalscorers against Stuttgart, Sapmaz and Majetschak, make the Team of the Week.

Oct 8th 2026

Vuskovic sees red with Croatia's U21s in a 0-1 defeat against Bosnia, and is therefore suspended for one international game. Not exactly brilliant, but that delays him reaching five senior caps for a bit longer and saves us money, so yay?

Oct 11th 2026

Stjepanovic's Serbia claim a famous scalp in the Nation League with a 1-0 win over Spain. The center-back played the whole game and looked solid.

Oct 13th 2026

A day of debuts for our young internationals, with both Sapmaz and Karlsen enjoying their first U21 minutes off the bench with Turkey and Norway. The winger had time to set up the winner in a 3-2 win over Wales. Meanwhile, Rijkhoff played sixty minutes and scored against North Macedonia in an easy 4-1 win for the Netherlands U21s.

Oct 17th 2026

TSV 1860 München (4th) vs. 1.FC Köln (6th) (Bundesliga, 8/34)

And back to action with a doozy of a game, for many reasons. Köln are only one point behind us (tied with Bayern, actually) and enjoying a pretty good start to the season, set to at least repeat their European qualification from last time. More importantly though, this game means Entrena's return to Grünwalder Strasse after his departure at the very end of the summer transfer window. He's not playing every game, but he's a regular rotation member, so it's likely we'll see him today at some point.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Urko (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Erik Majetschak (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
KÖLN (4-4-2 diamond narrow): Kevin Trapp (GK); Nathan Phillips (DR), Hugo Faria (DCr), Antonio Entrena (DCl), Kai Behrends (DL); Ethan Ampadu (DM), Ellyes Skhiri (MCr), Anton Stach (MCl), Dominik Yankov (AMC); Eddie Nketiah (STr), Jan Thielmann (STl)

* * *

We take no chances today, with only a bit of rotation from our standard starting eleven to account for Stjepanovic's tiredness after his international exploits, plus Urko enjoying his first minutes after his injury. Köln seem to have ditched the 4-2-3-1 and changed to a diamond formation, which is somewhat scary. Entrena plays as a center back, which in my opinion is wasting his talents, but hey, versatility is a plus.

Köln start aggressive, getting a first minute corner kick that Ampadu heads over. Possession immediately shifts side, though, and we keep the ball during the next minutes while trying to quell their aggression and start putting pressure on their defense. It's Urko of all people who has our first chance with a good-looking shot from the D that Trapp tips wide with a very photogenic save. Thielmann responds with a high ball from the edge of the box, to which Maldini replies with an equally high header to Sánchez's cross in the 21st minute. The game remains even throughout this stretch, but in the 25th Thielmann sends a perfectly timed through ball wotards Nketiah, the striker nimbly dodges Kretzschmar's rush, and scores the 0-1 unopposed.

Rijkhoff almost has an immediate reply, but his finish from close after a great assist by Miranda is blocked by the always excellent Trapp. We regain the initiative then, but none of our approaches in the remainder of the first half go anywhere meaningful. Meanwhile Kretzschmar has to fly to tip wide a curling shot by the somewhat struggling Nketiah in injury time, but in the corner kick that follows Ampadu nods the cross into the small box and Nketiah pops up to head it in and make it 0-2, just in time for half time.

HALF TIME - 0-2

The second half doesn't see much immediate improvement, starting with a header by substitute Chaka Traoré that Kretzschmar saves and holds. Soon Vuskovic has to replace Lomónaco due to a painful gash in his leg, pushing Urko back to the defense. The young midfielder's presence makes us look more solid, and soon we finally create something of an attacking play that ends in a high shot by Marcos Paulo. Da Silva and Sapmaz come into the game not much later as our last options to make things happen, and incredibly it works wonders: a ball passed by Lang along the edge of the box reaches Sapmaz in the center, and the winger gives it a subtle touch to enable Da Silva inside the box so the midfielder can score the 1-2 and his first goal for 1860.

Köln's answer is a 30-yard direct free kick by Traoré that misses the crossbar by a handful of inches, then a corner kick headed by Stach into Kretzschmar's fingertips and over. The midfielder then repeats in another corner kick, although this time his header goes over without any help from the keeper. We hit back through Marcos Paulo, well assisted along the left wing by Sánchez but unable to give his finish enough power to put Trapp in any kind of trouble. Much better is our next chance, a cross from the left by Sánchez that Rijkhoff heads into Trapp's knee and into the post, our regularly scheduled encounter with the woodwork.

With only ten minutes on the clock we start pushing forward with abandon, and soon Rijkhoff receives another good pass from Sánchez but sends his finish high and wide, trying to rush it too much. Nketiah hits back with another high ball from the edge of the box, a common sight today on both goals. Time ticks its way into injury time, and when everything seems lost here comes Sapmaz once again to play the hero: the winger recieves a throw-in, cuts inside and passes the ball into the box for Urko, who places a perfect finish around Trapp and scores a dramatic 2-2, and also his first for die Löwen. A great end to a very entertaining match.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 2 (Florent Da Silva 60, Urko 90+3)
1.FC Köln 2 (Eddie Nketiah 25 45+2)

- - -

Fair result in the end, but gods did we have to suffer to get there. Unlikely goalscorers aside, this was a good comeback from a result we should never have allowed to happen. It took once again the magic of Can Sapmaz, suddenly the absolute star of this team, to make things get back to normal. Two draws in a row isn't exactly ideal, but it's better than two defeats at least. The bad news are Lomónaco's gash, which will keep him out for around a week, and Bayern's 6-0 win over Nürnberg which puts them third and one point ahead of us, boo. Four weeks on top of them is a new record, though, so well done, us!

Edited May 22, 2023 by Dalbeider

[Dalbeider]

Oct 23rd 2026

One of those stats that make us look really good: we're third when it comes to producing Bundesliga-worthy players. Right now we have fifteen players which have developed at our club playing in the top tier, only behind Bayern and Leverkusen with nineteen each and tied with Eintracht, while also well ahead of usual suspects like Dortmund.

Oct 24th 2026

1.FC Union Berlin (17th) vs. TSV 1860 München (5th) (Bundesliga, 9/34)

Union are one of three teams that are still winless in the Bundesliga, which says a lot of how hard they've been finding their return. Union at least have stolen three points in so many draws so far, which keeps them within reach of the safe zone of the table, but they aren't looking particularly brilliant. This is a game we should be winning, and that should give us a boost for the upcoming cup tie against Freiburg.

* * *

UNION BERLIN (4-2-3-1): Frederik Ronnow (GK); Lukas Klünter (DR), Jesper Daland (DCr), Dominique Heintz (DCl), Hannes Lippold (DL); Rani Khedira (MCr), Robert Wagner (MCl); Abdallah Sima (AMR), Aymen Barkok (AMC), Lucas Höler (AML), Miguel De la Fuente (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Florent Da Silva (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Shiloh 't Zand (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)

* * *

Some rotation today to keep some legs fresh for the cup, plus Bustos' return after his long injury, hopefully in decent form. Union's team looks very similar to the one we (barely) beat in the DFB Pokal last season, which might be a reason why they're struggling in the Bundesliga so much. They try some early long shots without much effectiveness, but we're slowly doing our thing, keeping the ball and creeping closer to their goal by the minute. Our first strike comes through Miranda, whose finish is blocked by Heintz, and Sánchez, who half-volleys the rebound miles over. Klünter also stops a shot by 't Zand from ever reaching Ronnow, while Sima gives us a real scare on the other end heading a set piece into the woodwork.

Twenty minutes in and no team is the clear winner of the early trade of blows, but why win on points when you can just knock out your opponent: Sánchez curls a beautiful cross from the byline and Bustos is there to head it in and score the 0-1 in the 23rd minute. Not a bad way to return to action. Union start putting us under some pressure afterwards, but nothing our defense can't handle for the time being. Another pass into the box by Sánchez ends with a wide shot by Vuskovic, while on the opposite end Kretzschmar does well to parry and then catch a header by Höler. After that the final ten minutes of the half are a calm affair, and the teams go to the dressing rooms perfectly tied on xG, but with us ahead in what really counts.

HALF TIME - 0-1

After six minutes of more of the same Manu Sánchez does it again, this time with a right-footed long pass into space into Miranda's run so the midfielder can sidestep his way around Ronnow and pass the ball into the back of the net for the 0-2. Now Union really need a quick goal to get back into the game, and it's once again Höler who tries luck with a header after a cross by Sima, over the bar this time. Ulrich and Maldini soon enter the pitch, but it's once again Miranda who tests Ronnow with a direct free kick the keeper tips wide. Meanwhile Union switch to a 5-2-3 formation, a move which reeks of desperation.

Urko replaces Vuskovic with twenty minutes on the clock to keep the youngster fresh for the midweek game, as this one seems to be under control now. Minutes pass without any extra work for the keepers, as the few shots which are taken end up deflecting on defenders or not even finding the target. This goes on until injury time, when suddenly Klünter breaks through the right wing and sends a low cross towards the far post so Höler, unmarked, can tap it in for the 1-2 and a glimmer of hope for the home team. Nothing else happens, thankfully, and we go home with a richly-deserved win.

* * *

1.FC Union Berlin 1 (Lucas Höler 90+1)
TSV 1860 München 2 (Nahuel Bustos 23, Matías Miranda 51)

- - -

I say deserved, but Union beat us in xG and doubled us in number of shots. Our chances were just better, though, and unlike them, we took them. Most of the blame for today's win goes to Sánchez, who had two moments of genius that translated into two easy goals. Others didn't look very good today, though, Gerometta and Da Silva in particular. Things to improve.

* * *

| Pos | Team                | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | GD    | Pts   | Form  | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 1st | Bayer Leverkusen    | 9     | 8     | 0     | 1     | 20    | 7     | 13    | 24    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 2nd | Borussia M'gladbach | 9     | 7     | 0     | 2     | 18    | 9     | 9     | 21    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 3rd | FC Bayern           | 9     | 6     | 1     | 2     | 24    | 7     | 17    | 19    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 4th | Borussia Dortmund   | 9     | 6     | 1     | 2     | 22    | 7     | 15    | 19    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 5th | 1860 München        | 9     | 5     | 3     | 1     | 19    | 10    | 9     | 18    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 6th | Köln                | 9     | 5     | 2     | 2     | 16    | 9     | 7     | 17    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 7th | RB Leipzig          | 9     | 5     | 2     | 2     | 16    | 12    | 4     | 17    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 8th | Hamburg             | 9     | 4     | 2     | 3     | 10    | 8     | 2     | 14    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 9th | Freiburg            | 9     | 4     | 2     | 3     | 12    | 11    | 1     | 14    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 10th| Wolfsburg           | 9     | 3     | 3     | 3     | 10    | 10    | 0     | 12    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 11th| Hertha BSC          | 9     | 2     | 5     | 2     | 7     | 9     | -2    | 11    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 12th| Stuttgart           | 9     | 2     | 2     | 5     | 7     | 17    | -10   | 8     |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 13th| Mainz               | 9     | 2     | 1     | 6     | 9     | 19    | -10   | 7     |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 14th| Frankfurt           | 9     | 2     | 1     | 6     | 10    | 22    | -12   | 7     |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 15th| Nürnberg            | 9     | 1     | 3     | 5     | 9     | 20    | -11   | 6     |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 16th| Hoffenheim          | 9     | 0     | 4     | 5     | 5     | 13    | -8    | 4     |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 17th| Fortuna Düsseldorf  | 9     | 1     | 1     | 7     | 9     | 22    | -13   | 4     |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 18th| Union Berlin        | 9     | 0     | 3     | 6     | 7     | 18    | -11   | 3     |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 

Look Ma, we're in Europe! Barely, but still! But seriously, eighteen points after nine fixtures? Can we do this for the rest of the season and finish with sixty-five points or something, please? I don't know how long we can hang in there, there are some very dangerous teams behind us waiting for us to tumble down the table so they can regain their rightful place ahead, but hey, let them wait. It's quite comfortable up here.

The league looks a bit messy still after nine games, and it's a bit of a shock seeing Leverkusen and Gladbach so comfortably on top, even more now that Dortmund somehow managed to lose to Wolfsburg and drop to fourth, just behind a disappointing but still better than us Bayern. Even the middle of the table looks weird, with Freiburg and Hertha behind Hamburg and Wolfsburg, who by the way are having a very remarkable return to the elite after their one-year vacation in the 2.Bundesliga. Union not so much, and now they're one of two winless teams in the league after Fortuna beat Hertha just today. Hoffenheim are the others, shockingly.

* * *

PLAYER STATS
============

Average rating (min. 3 games played):

Can Sapmaz               7.61 (6(3) apps)
Niklas Lang              7.38 (5 apps)
Mateja Stjepanovic       7.30 (8 apps)
Matías Miranda           7.29 (6(4) apps)
Tom Kretzschmar          7.27 (9 apps)

Goals:

Can Sapmaz               5 goals
Julian Rijkhoff          4
Matías Miranda           3
Nahuel Bustos            2
4 players                1

Assists: 

Can Sapmaz               4 assists
Marcos Paulo             3
Matías Miranda           3
Manu Sánchez             2
4 players                1

 

[Dalbeider]

Oct 27th 2026

Deserved appearance in the Team of the Week for Manu Sánchez.

Oct 28th 2026

TSV 1860 München vs. Sport-Club Freiburg (DFB Pokal, 2nd round)

My two hundredth game in charge of TSV is gonna be a nailbiter, huh. Freiburg aren't up to the same standards that brought them into the top four of the Bundesliga last season, and we actually managed to beat them clearly in our league meeting a few weeks ago, but this is still one of the toughest cup ties we could possibly be handed, and we need to treat it as such.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Valentino Quintero (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Erik Majetschak (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
FREIBURG (4-2-3-1): Pontus Dahlberg (GK); Felix Passlack (DR), Amos Pieper (DCr), Dario Maresic (DCl), Christian Günter (DL); Jhon Solis (MCr), Tom Krauss (MCl); Marco Richter (AMR), Matías Palacios (AMC), Sead Haksabanovic (AML), Nicolai Skoglund (ST)

* * *

No punches pulled today, and we start with the exact same eleven that beat Freiburg 2-0 almost exactly one month ago, except for Quintero on goal and Hadzic in defense. The visitors also keep the same core, although with three new faces in Maresic, Krauss, and Haksabanovic. Things look good for us from the very beginning, and it takes us just a bit over a minute for Majetschak to send a cross into the far post so Marcos Paulo heads it narrowly over the bar for our first warning shot. The game quickly evens out, though, and other than a centered long shot by Rijkhoff that Dahlberg saves with ease the following minutes have little action on either goal.

The trend continues on, with Freiburg having a bit more possession than us but mostly wasting it inside their own half. Their first shot at goal doesn't come until almost the 40th minute, and it's a very wide attempt by Skoglund from the edge of the box. Meanwhile we produce almost nothing worthwhile, so it's not like we can teach them any attacking lessons. An attempt through the center is made by Rijkhoff in the 41st, but the defense closes the gap and his final shot bounces harmlessly into the air and down into Dahlberg's hands, and that's it for a very tame first half.

HALF TIME - 0-0

The first ten minutes of the second half are more of the same, but Vagnoman finally breaks through with a long pass ahead of Rijkhoff, who finds the space to run into the box and shoot but ends up sending it wide. Still, first clear chance in forever, so that should be a good sign. And so it is: five minutes later a throw in on the left wing reaches Vagnoman, who crosses towards Rijkhoff so the striker can tower above Maresic and head it into the net. Lead taken, now to keep it.

Sapmaz replaces a once again disappointing Maldini immediately after, with Da Silva following soon after in Miranda's place. Freiburg finally start pushing forward a little bit, helped by their bench players bringing in some extra energy, and soon a cross by Zhegrova reaches Skoglund in a dangerous position, but Stjepanovic blocks the striker's finish just in time to prevent a real scare. Gerometta replaces Sánchez a while later, just in time to see how a long passing play ends with the ball inside the box under Da Silva's control. The midfielder can put his shot past the defense, but the rebound falls to Rijkhoff and the striker puts it into the net. Too bad he was offside by inches...

There are no offside doubts in our next try, though: another run down the left flank with Majetschak and Marcos Paulo trading passes until the winger assists the midfielder and Majetschak just blasts it in without any remorse, doubling our lead with only ten minutes remaining. Freiburg's first shot on target ends inside Quintero's net in the 87th, but there's a previous offside position by Vogel and Skoglund's goal vanishes into the nether. Just in case Vagnoman decides to turn on the creative engine once again, and sends a middle-height cross into the box in the last minute of regulation so the marauding Gerometta can surprise everyone with a perfectly placed volley and make it 3-0. Quintero dives for his first save of the game already in injury time, holding a weak finish by Passlack, and that's all for today.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 3 (Julian Rijkhoff 60, Erik Majetschak 80, Francisco Gerometta 90)
Sport-Club Freiburg 0

- - -

How to completely dominate a game while still losing possession by a wide margin. Great performance overall, very reminiscent of our previous meeting with Freiburg, and with Vagnoman absolutely tearing it from both sides of our attack today. Third round reached once again to keep the board happy, and now to see how far we can take it this time. Another run into the semis would be nice, not gonna lie...

[Dalbeider]

Oct 30th 2026

Welp, no more dreaming about another semis appearance in the DFB Pokal for us: RB Leipzig will come visit Grünwalder Strasse in the third round. Meanwhile Bayern get to play against 3.Liga's Kaiserslautern. Rigged, I tell you.

Nov 1st 2026

TSV 1860 München (5th) vs. VfL Wolfsburg (10th) (Bundesliga, 10/34)

As mentioned in the first quarter summary, Wolfsburg have been doing surprisingly well for a just-promoted side, although to be fair their squad is strong and it's obvious it didn't suffer much from their relegation two seasons ago. They've also progressed in the cup, so they'll be on a high, too. Difficult game, but one we should be winning.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Urko (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Florent Da Silva (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Shiloh 't Zand (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)
WOLFSBURG (4-3-3): Thorben Hoffmann (GK); Claude Adjapong (DR), Moritz Jenz (DCr), Jordan Torunarigha (DCl), Guilherme Montóia (DL); Diego Demme (DM), Dani Ceballos (MCr), Takefusa Kubo (MCl); Jovane Cabral (AMR), Luka Ivanusec (AML), Randal Kolo Muani (ST)

* * *

Once again heavy rotation after our midweek game, with Lomónaco's return to action as the biggest news of the day. Wolfsburg's lineup, on the other hand, is completely new when compared to our last meeting in the Bundesliga, and I'd dare to say a much stronger eleven overall with stand-outs like Ceballos, Kubo, and Kolo Muani. But when a team's on fire like we are right now there's very little you can do to stop them: five minutes in we pass the ball all over the park until we find Gerometta on the run on the right, and the wing back sends a perfectly measured cross towards the far post so 't Zand only has to push it over the line for the opener.

The inside forward soon has another chance following a good assist by Miranda, but this time a defender gets in the way and the ball bounces clear. A high ball from distance by Urko follows, and Wolfsburg look incapable of coping with us at the moment. We should profit and make our lead clearer, and that's exactly what we do in the 17th when a cross by 't Zand is intercepted by the defense, but they leave the ball dead at Miranda's feet for an easy point-blank finish that becomes the 2-0. We actually get a third eight minutes later, but Bustos mistimes his run by a tiny little bit and ends up offside.

Wolfsburg finally show their teeth in the 27th in a quick counter that Adjapong finishes with a wide shot from the edge of the box, but it's an isolated oddity and we remain firmly in control afterwards. That is, until Ivanusec decides to try a run into the box and Miranda sticks his foot out at the exactly wrong time: penalty kick, and Ivanusec himself scores the 2-1 from the spot despite Kretzschmar guessing correctly. The midfielder redeems himself with a good pass to Sapmaz inside Wolfsburg's box, but the winger's aim is back to last year's standards today and he blasts his finish over the bar. A blocked shot by 't Zand is the last chance of a very one-sided half with a not so one-sided result.

HALF TIME - 2-1

After the break we keep pushing Wolfsburg to keep them bottled in their own half, and soon test the waters again through 't Zand, very active today, this time sending narrowly wide a bender from the edge of the box. That's the only action in the first fifteen minutes, though, and soon Sapmaz is replaced by Rijkhoff, pushing Bustos to the right wing. He doesn't last long, though, as he's having another terrible game, and Ulrich takes his place, now moving Miranda to the wing, while young Rung gives Sánchez a rest.

With twenty-five minutes already gone in the second half we finally test Hoffmann again, with 't Zand heading a cross by Gerometta straight at the keeper. The same fate awaits Rijkhoff's finish after another cross by the wing back, this one much more dangerous-looking. There are no news from Wolfsburg's attack until the 84th, when substitute Czyborra smashes a shot after a set piece into Lomónaco's body. A wide direct free kick by Cabral already in the 90th minute gives way to an injury time in which the only event is a painful-looking crash between Adjapong and 't Zand, which ends with Wolfsburg's right back being carried out of the pitch. The result doesn't change, though, and the points stay at home.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 2 (Shiloh 't Zand 5, Matías Miranda 17)
VfL Wolfsburg 1 (Luka Ivanusec 37p)

- - -

Easy. Great play in the first twenty minutes to take the lead, and after that a bit of a collective nap which thankfully didn't have any consequences in the end, mostly because Wolfsburg didn't really know how to put us under any kind of pressure. Three more points to the pile, and back into Champions League positions thanks to Gladbach's defeat in Dortmund, a position we'll have to defend next week at their stadium.

[Dalbeider]

Nov 3rd 2026

We were having such a good season that it was obvious the other shoe was this close to dropping, and here it is: Sapmaz will miss four to five weeks with a twisted ankle sustained in training. The timing is not too bad since we're one match away from an international break, but that match happens to be against Gladbach, with Dortmund coming next. Maldini better wake up and return to his previous season self...

Nov 4th 2026

On the topic of that upcoming international break, Stjepanovic remains as an almost permanent fixture in Serbia's senior side, while Vuskovic takes a step down into the Croatian U21s. Soon-to-return loanee Karlsen also gets a call for Norway's U21 squad, for potentially his second cap at this level while still only eighteen.

Nov 7th 2026

Borussia Mönchengladbach (5th) vs. TSV 1860 München (4th) (Bundesliga, 11/34)

Entering the nasty part of the league schedule with a trip to fellow Europe hopefuls Gladbach before hosting Dortmund, these two games will be the real test on whether we're ready to compete at this level or not. Gladbach in particular have been having a very strong season so far, and only dropped behind us on goal difference last week when they lost to, precisely, Dortmund. A very tough fixture, and I'll be happy with any kind of positive result today.

* * *

GLADBACH (4-2-3-1): David Raya (GK); Nahuel Molina (DR), Nico Elvedi (DCr), Igor Diveev (DCl), Luca Netz (DL); Bali Mumba (MCr), Cheick Doucouré (MCl); Breel Embolo (AMR), Nedim Bajrami (AMC), Raúl Moro (AML), Marcus Thuram (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Erik Majetschak (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

Today we say to hell with rotations and play our most in-form eleven, with the obvious exception of Maldini in Sapmaz's place. Gladbach haven't changed too much since last season, with Raya being the starting keeper ahead of Mamardashvili as the most visible difference. The attacking four remain the same, though, and for good reason as Moro shows with a silky run through the center and a placed finish that Kretzschmar has to work hard to deflect away from the net just two minutes into the match. A wide shot by Bajrami in a dangerous counterattack follows, and we seem to be a bit on the back foot despite having most of the ball in the early game.

The trend continues with Embolo heading wide a loose ball inside the box following a blocked shot by Moro, and by now it's obvious we need a bit more of punch to go with our possession. Meanwhile Kretzschmar saves a header by Thuram following a cross by Mumba, then another after another good assist from the right wing by Molina, and we slowly but surely are being pushed back into our own half by Gladbach. 

We finally test Raya with a good placed header by Rijkhoff in the 29th minute following a good steal by Sánchez, although the keeper dives well to save and hold it. Gladbach answer with Embolo scoring from an offside position after two blocked shots inside the small box, just in case we thought we'd be turning things around immediately. Another good block by Stjepanovic to Thuram's finish inside the box keeps us alive in the final stretch of the first half, but we seem to be holding on by a thread. Still tied at half time, somehow.

HALF TIME - 0-0

If we were hoping for improvement after the half time talk in the dressing room it doesn't last: thirty seconds into the second half Bajrami crosses into the box and Embolo jumps and heads it with power and precision to score a richly-deserved 1-0 for Gladbach. We finally react then, showing up near Raya's goal with a couple of decent long-range attempts in the following minutes, but Thuram brings us back down to earth by gathering a goal kick and leaving Lang in the dust before being ultimately denied by one of Kretzschmar's usual one-on-one miracles.

It's time for changes, and Da Silva, 't Zand, and Bustos come into the game immediately. The results aren't particularly encouraging, and we still struggle to create anything even remotely similar to a goalscoring chance. Closest thing is a blocked finish by Bustos after a good recovery and assist by Sánchez, and that's saying something. Then, out of nowhere, Miranda has a chance to show his skills from set pieces and sends a direct free kick straight into the woodwork with fifteen minutes remaining. This sparks a final push for the draw, although we keep running into the same wall as always and none of our attempts put Raya in any trouble. Time runs out eventually, and we stumble into our first defeat in a while.

* * *

Borussia Mönchengladbach 1 (Breel Embolo 46)
TSV 1860 München 0

- - -

No complaints, we were just outmached today. Couldn't create anything, and despite some good defensive efforts it was clear Gladbach were going to score at some point. Miranda's free kick was our only real chance, and honestly, stealing a point through that would've been absolutely unfair. Our attacking players were particularly horrible today, with Maldini once again singled out. We lose our place in the Champions League deservedly, and we'll have to do much better against Dortmund if we don't want to drop out of Europe altogether.
 

[Dalbeider]

Nov 9th 2026

Things to ponder during the international break: Maldini has scored three goals in 2026 so far, all three in the DFB Pokal, and the last one came back in March. Meanwhile Bustos has been ever so slightly better, but his two goals so far this season aren't exactly the improvement we were expecting from him. Both have a lot of work to do in what remains of the natural year if they want to change my mind about replacing them as soon as the next window opens.

Nov 11th 2026

More injuries, this time it's Lomónaco's turn with a groin strain. One month out of the team at the very least.

Nov 16th 2026

Solid performances overall for our internationals, with Vuskovic as the standout with a goal in a 3-1 loss against Scotland U21.

Nov 21st 2026

TSV 1860 München (6th) vs. Borussia Dortmund (2nd) (Bundesliga, 12/34)

Facing the Bundesliga champions just after losing our first match in a while is not ideal, but we'll have to deal. Dortmund are doing fine so far, not spectacularly like last season but still well within the title fight, but if you look at the table they're actually only four points ahead of us, so the difference is smaller than it's been in the past. Or so I hope.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Erik Majetschak (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Nahuel Bustos (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
DORTMUND (4-3-3): Gregor Kobel (GK); Pablo Maffeo (DR), Mohamed Simakan (DCr), Manuel Akanji (DCl), Emre Can (DL); Niklas Süle (DM), Kacper Kozlowski (MCr), Hamed Traoré (MCl); Luka Jovic (AMR), Adam Hlozek (AML), Youssoufa Moukoko (ST)

* * *

Klopp's return to BVB has brought the 4-3-3 back to the team's tactics, together with a few curious player positionings like Emre Can on the left back and Jovic on the right wing. Their front three are still one of the scariest forward lines in Europe, though, so we'd better be careful. We have the initiative in the early game, although with little penetration, while Dortmund rely only on set pieces to hit us back. As such, the first twenty minutes pass by with the keepers as mere spectators of a hard-fought midfield battle.

In fact we have to wait until the 34th minute for the first real chance to appear, following a great through ball by Moukoko towards Jovic allowing the not-quite-striker to face Kretzschmar one on one, but the keeper does his usual stuff and holds him off with a great reflex save. Kretzschmar then decides to give back something in exchange and messes up a simple pass so Moukoko can intercept and lob the ball over him, although thankfully Vuskovic reaches it in time to clear it before it crosses the line. 

And then, two minutes before half time, things take a radical change for the better (for us) when Traoré picks a second yellow card after a trip on Rijkhoff and is made to take an early shower. There's enough time for us to profit from their confusion, and in the first minute of injury time Vagnoman sends a cross towards the near post and who else but Maldini is there to tap it in and score his first goal in eight months and give us the lead.

HALF TIME - 1-0

Dortmund switch to a narrow diamond formation with Jovic in the hole and Moukoko as their only striker, leaving the wings empty save for their full backs. One of them, Maffeo, creates the play that ends in Veerman's shot over the bar thirteen minutes into the second half, the first after the break. Meanwhile we bring Marcos Paulo into the game, just in time for him to head wide a cross by Maldini. Another attack down the right ends in a blocked shot by Majetschak and another header by Marcos Paulo, this one easy for Kobel to hold.

Gerometta and Da Silva come in not much later, as we try to make sure this game doesn't slip away from us. Marcos Paulo goes at it again, receiving a pass from Vagnoman inside the box but only being able to shoot left-footed straight at Kobel's hands. We slowly bur surely take control of the game, denying Dortmund any chances in the following minutes, and the clock runs and runs until injury time, when Veerman tries again from distance but once again fails to find the target. The midfielder has a final chance with a weak header that Kretzschmar saves with ease, and the game is done. Great result for us.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 1 (Daniel Maldini 45+1)
Borussia Dortmund 0 (Hamed Traoré sent off 44)

- - -

Fantastic result, yes, but also one of the dullest games in Grünwalder Strasse in recent memory. Even with both teams at full strength the attacks on both sides looked sad today, and only that small moment of clarity by Maldini saved this match from a dull draw. Nice to see him finally get over his funk, though, that took a while. Let's hope he can use it as a platform to build upon. Otherwise, not much to say other than that we friggin' beat Dortmund, yaaaaaaay!
 

[Dalbeider]

Nov 22nd 2026

Remember Gechter, our former starlet defender who was release clause'd by Leverkusen a bit over a year ago? He isn't playing any for them, as expected, and looks likely to move on somewhere else before long. Our scouts say we could get him for cheaper than what Leverkusen paid us for him, but eh, I don't think he improves on any of our current players in that zone except maybe Lomónaco, so not exactly a priority.

Nov 27th 2026

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (17th) vs. TSV 1860 München (5th) (Bundesliga, 13/34)

Not the best start of the season for Hoffenehim, that's for sure. Usually a mid-table team with random pushes into European contention, now they're second-to-last and Marcel Rapp just left Mainz and took over from Olaf Janssen as manager. Zero wins and four draws so far, the only reason they're not last is because Union Berlin has been a tiny bit worse. A game we should be winning.

* * *

HOFFENHEIM (4-3-2-1): Vladan Kovacevic (GK); Brandon Soppy (DR), Stefan Posch (DCr), Marco Friedl (DCl), Gianluca Frabotta (DL); Dennis Geiger (MCr), Yacine Adli (MC), Yannick Gerhardt (MCl); Luca Waldschmidt (AMCr), Nadiem Amiri (AMCl); Kevin Volland (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Urko (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Laurin Ulrich (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Shiloh 't Zand (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)

* * *

A good chance for some rotation on paper, even more with a midweek fixture against HSV looming in the distance. Hoffenheim start on a 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation, which we haven't played against since the days Schalke and Kiel used it on occasion against us, and with veteran and former 1860 man Volland upfront. We start attacking as expected, with Sánchez having our first chance blocked by Kovacevic after a great pass by Ulrich, then Maldini meeting the same fate after an assist by Bustos. But then Hoffenheim launch their first counter of the game, Volland outruns Hadzic, and the veteran shoots with power past Kretzschmar to score the 1-0. Not according to plan, this one.

We keep pushing against their thick defensive lines, and soon Da Silva has a chance to break through the center and tries a lob over Kovacevic, who barely manages to get his fingertips in the way before the ball goes in. In the 22nd another attack down the left ends with Ulrich crossing towards the far post from there, and Maldini confirms his recovery with a perfectly placed header and pulls level. We maintain control after the draw, still pushing them back, but it takes us all the way until the 42nd minute to hit them again. When we do it's for real, though: another run down the left flank, cross into the small box by Sánchez, and our other forward in search for redemption, Bustos, volleys it in from point range to score the 1-2. The striker has time to get another dangerous finish blocked by a defender before the first half ends.

HALF TIME - 1-2

The second half starts, how else, with an attack on the left wing with Sánchez crossing, Maldini nodding the ball back, and Bustos shooting into the post. Another high header by Maldini follows shortly after, and in the 53rd *yet another* cross by Sánchez is headed by Bustos into Kovacevic's confident save. Soon Rijkhoff and Lang come into the game to give Stjepanovic and Maldini a much needed rest, while Volland is still the only Hoffenheim player to even try, this time sending way over a long distance attempt.

We still want a third, though, and Da Silva almost gets it after a great run into space after Ulrich's pass from deep, but his finish goes straight into Kovacevic's body. A badly wide header by Gerhardt in a corner kick is Hoffenheim's weak answer, and then it's Marcos Paulo's turn to replace a very invisible 't Zand. We seem to be losing control of the game somewhat, though, and Volland gives us more reason to worry with a nod towards Amiri in a dangerous position, which the attacking midfielder thankfully wastes with a horribly high finish. We answer through Bustos's cross towards Rijkhoff, who sees his header well stopped by Kovacevic.

Da Silva wastes his third clear chance of the day with a narrowly wide finish after once again breaking into the box from deep, this time after a nice pass from the right by Gerometta. With ten minutes remaining the result is still up in the air despite our overall domination, but it's precisely that domination which allows us to put the game to sleep completely then, denying Hoffenheim even a single chance to pull out an upset in the last stretch. Win secured, and onto the next one.

* * *

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 1 (Kevin Volland 13)
TSV 1860 München 2 (Daniel Maldini 22, Nahuel Bustos 42)

- - -

Well then, guess that's vindication for Maldini and Bustos. Not our most brilliant outing by any means, but a thoroughly professional job to come back from behind and grab the win we deserved. Our left wing worked wonderfully today as a source of danger, particularly Ulrich and Manu Sánchez ('t Zand might as well not have played), and we probably should've scored a few more. Regardless, another solid result, and our challenge for Europe is looking stronger by the minute.

[Dalbeider]

Dec 1st 2026

Manu Sánchez appears in the Team of the Week once again. Most consistent left back we've had since Steinhart was in his prime, and we've had a few.

* * *

Hamburger SV (8th) vs. TSV 1860 München (4th) (Bundesliga, 14/34)

December's gonna be a bit of a nightmare fixtures-wise, starting with a trip to HSV, a team that's been together with us since we met in the 2.Bundesliga, promoting together with us, and improving gradually in the Bundesliga since. It's also a team that tends to give us lots of trouble, particularly at their stadium, and which we couldn't beat at all last season. Tough nut to crack, this one.

* * *

HSV (4-2-3-1): Yoshiaki Ichikawa (GK); Lukas Klostermann (DR), Jamie Lawrence (DCr), Joel Agyekum (DCl), Zaid El Sheiwi (DL); Bledian Krasniqi (MCr), Ron Schallenberg (MCl); Amankwah Forson (AMR), Ömer Beyaz (AMC), Farine Alidou (AML); Georginio Rutter (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Erik Majetschak (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

Rotating into our theoretical starting eleven once again, with Sapmaz returning to action after his injury but very unlikely to play the whole match. Hamburg keep the same formation as in our recent meetings, although with lots of personnel changes in their starting lineup. The match is very even in the first fifteen minutes, with us holding the ball and HSV having a couple of decent chances, but none of them ever reaching Kretzschmar's domain. At least they're getting shots in here and there, though, something we apparently can't manage today.

Kretzschmar's first save of the game comes in the 29th after a long ball towards Georginio leaves him one-on-one with the keeper, who responds as admirably as ever by confidently blocking his finish. The corner kick gives us another serious scare, with Alidou having two point-blank shots on the far post blocked by Vagnoman, almost an honorary keeper by now. Turns out all the important action of the first half is concentrated in this single minute, though, and half time finds the teams still unable to score.

HALF TIME - 0-0

After ten minutes with no changes, a very ineffective Sapmaz is replaced by Maldini while Gerometta gives a very tired Sánchez a rest. Vuskovic then makes a very uncharacteristic mistake in possession and gifts Schallenberg a chance to test Kretzschmar, who once again answers well. Bustos comes in Marcos Paulo's place then, but no matter who we play upfront it won't matter if we can't get the ball to them. He does spark our first real attack in the whole game, though, passing towards Rijkhoff so the striker can redirect it into Vagnoman's path for a wide shot from the edge of the box.

It's a good sign, though, and we confirm our improvement quickly enough: attack through the center with the ball reaching Rijkhoff inside the box, the striker tries a shot but a defender blocks it, yet the ball only deflects enough so Ichikawa can't reach it and ends up rolling slowly into the post and in. The goal gives us confidence, and soon Maldini has another great chance after gathering a loose ball inside the box, his finish ultimately blocked by Ichikawa and deflected wide. That corner kick, taken by the Italian himself, reaches Lang near the far post and allows the center back to head it in and make it 0-2. How to win a game in five minutes.

With HSV now in desperation mode, we take the chance to hit them on the break, and soon Ichikawa has more work to do when Miranda volleys a nod by Maldini, well held by the Japanese keeper. We take a more patient and controlling approach then, holding the ball and watching the minutes tick by, with the occasional chance to spice things up a bit. Maldini is denied by a last-second tackle in the 83rd, and Bustos misses by inches with a 20-yarder four minutes later. No news of HSV's attack, which is good news for us, and the game ends shortly after in a critical win for us.

* * *

Hamburger SV 0
TSV 1860 München 2 (Julian Rijkhoff 65, Niklas Lang 71)

- - -

What a weird game. We couldn't get a single shot in for sixty minutes, then we score two in what basically were our first two chances, and from then on we completely dominate the game, to the point of actually deserving the result by the end. It's like time worked backwards today, somehow... I think the substitutions were the key, particularly moving Vagnoman to the left as an inverted wing back.

The best part? Bayern, Dortmund, and Leverkusen all played today, and all of them lost. Bayern at home to Gladbach, Leverkusen also at home to Wolfsburg, and Dortmund in Frankfurt against our next opposition. All that means, and take a seat before continuing, that 1860 München are right now top of the Bundesliga! Also ahead of Bayern once again as a bonus, heh. That said, the whole top six are within three points of each other, so we could go from leaders to the Europa League places in one blow very easily.

[Dalbeider]

Dec 5th 2026

Der Klassiker ends in a 2-2 draw between Dortmund and Bayern, meaning at worst we'll reach die Münchner Derby tied on points with our dear neighbors. Now that's a situation this club hasn't seen in a loooong while.

Dec 6th 2026

TSV 1860 München (1st) vs. Eintracht Frankfut (10th) (Bundesliga, 15/34)

Before that, though, we have to face Eintracht at home, a team that despite their very average-looking position just managed a win against Dortmund. So did we a few weeks earlier, though, so that's not as impressive a claim as it would've been in previous years. It's also our first time defending the first place in the league, so that should give us an extra boost. I hope.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Amer Hadzic (DCl), Josha Vagnoman (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Florent Da Silva (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)
EINTRACHT (4-2-3-1): Timo Horn (GK); Almamy Touré (DR), Marvin Friedrich (DCr), Jackson Porozo (DCl), Jordan Lotomba (DL); Lewis Cook (MCr), Toma Basic (MCl); Datro Fofana (AMR), André Franco (AMC), Thorgan Hazard (AML); Joe Gelhardt (ST)

* * *

Rest for Sánchez today, while Sapmaz will most likely have minutes off the bench to help get him back into good form. It's raining hard in Munich today, but that doesn't seem to slow Eintracht one bit: bad pass by Lang in the buildup that Basic intercepts, and long ball towards the right flank for Fofana, who breaks into the box and beats Kretzschmar to grab an early lead. The next minutes are calm on both ends of the pitch, as we look to reestablish ourselves and start looking for the draw.

We struggle to keep the ball today, not helped by the wet pitch, and that delays our reaction while Eintracht look very comfortable forcing us into bad passes. Our first shot on target takes until the 27th, and it's a long-range attempt by Vagnoman that Horn saves without issue. Two minutes later Basic heads narrowly over a corner kick in Eintracht's first approach since their goal, but after that both defenses manage to block any attempts at goal until the end of the first half. Not looking good.

HALF TIME - 0-1

We start the second half looking a bit better, and soon Miranda sends Maldini running into space chasing after a great pass, but Horn rushes out and steals it from the winger's feet at the exactly right moment. We still need to remove a few underperforming players from the pitch, though, and Hadzic and Marcos Paulo, both horrible today, are replaced by Stjepanovic and Rijkhoff, with Majetschak replacing Da Silva a few minutes later. Regardless, the match seems to flatline at that point, and neither team manages a single shot for a long while.

It finally arrives in the 75th, and it's a beautiful lob by Fofana over Kretzschmar to score what looks like the 0-2 for a moment, but soon VAR corrects into an offside call. One minute later we strike back when Bustos steals the ball, trades a quick one-two with Rijkhoff, then bends a marvelous 20-yarder into the top left corner to score the 1-1. Riding the high we go looking for the winner, and Bustos almost finds it with a quick passing play through the center that he finishes well, but Horn deflects over the bar even better. A blocked finish by Miranda inside the small box follows, and in the final seconds of injury time Vagnoman has another great chance after a nice through ball from Majetschak, but the full back is not a finisher and it shows in his wide shot. In the end, a fair draw.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 1 (Nahuel Bustos 76)
Eintracht Frankfurt 1 (Datro Fofana 5)

- - -

Bustos here with his own personal redemption arc. What a goal that was. Fair result in the end, neither team looked particularly sharp up front today, but our second half efforts at least got that consolation prize. We lose the top spot to Leverkusen, but remain one point ahead of Bayern before paying them a visit next week. That's gonna feel weird...

[Dalbeider]

Dec 8th 2026

The winter transfer window is drawing closer and the media circus is starting to rev up the engines. Today the headlines talk about Sevilla showing interest in Stjepanovic, who of course is not for sale unless they trigger his release clause. Which doesn't exist.

In less infuriating news, Lang makes the Team of the Week thanks to his performance against HSV.

Dec 12th 2026

FC Bayern München (4th) vs. TSV 1860 München (3rd) (Bundesliga, 16/34)

Yep, a derby against Bayern in which we're ahead of them on the table. By one point, mind, but still. The fact that so far we've been able not just to keep pace with them but to actually outperform them is nothing short of fantastic, and taking at least a point from the Allianz-Arena would be a very delicious cherry on top. Not holding my breath, though, recent form aside Bayern are still the better team by a mile and a half.

* * *

BAYERN (4-2-3-1): Aaron Ramsdale (GK); Leon Goretzka (DR), Nordi Mukiele (DCr), Dayot Upamecano (DCl), Owen Wijndal (DL); Dominik Szoboszlai (MCr), Sandro Tonali (MCl); Serge Gnabry (AMR), Kai Havertz (AMC), Timo Werner (AML); Robert Lewandowski (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Erik Majetschak (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Nahuel Bustos (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

Our most in-form eleven takes the field today, as mandated by the occasion. You might notice the absence of a very notable name in Bayern's lineup: Musiala was bought by PSG this summer for €142M, which might explain in part the relative drop in Bayern's performance. They still brought Werner back from Real Madrid on the cheap, though, and 38-year-old Lewandowski is already on seventeen league goals, so it's not all bad for them. Kimmich is also out today with an injury, something I won't be complaining about.

As expected, Bayern push forward from the get go, keeping us inside our own half but not managing any real chances until the 14th minute, when Goretzka breaks through the right flank and tests Kretzschmar's reflexes. Three minutes later Tonali finds Werner as the forward breaks the offside line and beats Kretzschmar with a low finish, which becomes the 1-0 after a brief double check by the VAR. Then, in the 21st, Gnabry takes a corner kick towards the center of the box and good ol' Lewandowski outjumps everyone to make it 2-0. Same old story.

Gnabry sends wide a fantastic chance to widen the wound just a couple of minutes later, but after that we finally manage to plug the leak and, at least, prevent any more goals coming our way. Vagnoman still has to clear a header by Lewandowski in another corner kick off the line two minutes before half time, though, and our attack doesn't even smell Ramsdale's deodorant until the last minute of the half, when Rijkhoff sends straight at the keeper a decent chance after a low cross from Vagnoman. Deservedly behind at the break.

HALF TIME - 2-0

The match remains apparently even in the early second half, with neither team making any progress in attack, so we shake things up a bit with Sapmaz and Ulrich entering the pitch, looking for some young blood to revitalize us. Marcos Paulo comes in a bit later, but by now twenty minutes have gone by and there's been basically zero action on both goals. A weak shot by Upamecano straight into Kretzschmar's hands in the 71st finally breaks the boredom, then Werner tries a long distance header that sails over the bar six minutes later. Still no news from our forwards.

We finally see some action in the 86th, when Miranda finds Bustos unmarked near the penalty spot and assist him, but the striker's powerful finish is repelled by Ramsdale and it all comes to nothing. Bayern get a chance for the third in injury time through substitue Szymanski, whose shot is parried by Kretzschmar in what becomes the last action of the match. Still too easy for Bayern.

* * *

FC Bayern München 2 (Timo Werner 17, Robert Lewandowski 21)
TSV 1860 München 0

- - -

Yep, same old, same old. I can't wait for Lewandowski to retire, honestly, the man will be forty-five and still banging goals by the dozen at this rate. The match was closer than it looks when it comes to actual play, but Bayern have dynamite upfront and know how to use it, and that was the difference today. One day...

[EvilDave]

Tough break against Bayern in that last game, but this is looking like a promising season so far. This is a great read and I'm sorry I haven't commented before now - very much enjoying the regular updates too!

[Dalbeider]

EvilDave: thanks! And yeah, Bayern's gonna be a tough nut to crack. They aren't as untouchable this season as they've been in previous ones, but they're still waaaay better than us in every line. We'll see...

* * *

Dec 19th 2026

TSV 1860 München (5th) vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen (4th) (Bundesliga, 17/34)

Last match of the year, and what a game it is, too. Leverkusen have been keeping pace with the top of the table all season, and even taking the first place for a pretty long while, but they've struggled as of late with bad results against other top teams, including last week's 0-1 loss to Dortmund. If there's any moment where we could consider taking the three points from them it's now. And hey, our last meeting ended 2-0 for us, so there's that.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Josha Vagnoman (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Urko (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Matías Miranda (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Nahuel Bustos (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
LEVERKUSEN (4-2-3-1): Maarten Vandevoordt (GK); William Saliba (DR), Jonathan Tah (DCr), David Goikoetxea (DCl), Mitchel Bakker (DL); Devyne Rensch (MCr), Gabriel Pirani (MCl); Yangel Herrera (AMR), Fábio Vieira (AMC), Moussa Diaby (AML), Marcos Leonardo (ST)

* * *

Not many changes today for us, just Da Silva for Majetschak and Urko replacing the suspended Vuskovic. It's another rainy afternoon in Munich, and Leverkusen seem to take to the wet pitch better than us in the first minutes despite having less of the ball. There's basically zero danger on either goal, though, at least until the 17th when Gabriel Pirani breaks through to catch a long ball but messes up his finish, making it easy for Kretzschmar. Then nothing again until the 30th, when Rijkhoff intercepts a dangerous pass from Bakker back to his keeper but can't deflect it into the target.

Another bad pass, this one by Miranda, triggers a quick counter for the visitors that Marcos Leonardo finishes with a narrowly wide shot when alone inside the box, much to our relief. Bakker follows it up with a cross towards Fábio Vieira, whose header is well saved by Kretzschmar. A shot by Bustos after the ball passes through most of our attacking players in the final minutes of the half goes straight into Vandevoordt's hands, and a very even and very uneventful first half ends, how else, without goals.

HALF TIME - 0-0

We start the second half looking a bit more incisive, with Maldini blasting it over in a good position after a nice assist by Da Silva. Leverkusen hits back a bit later after yet another bad pass, this one by Stjepanovic, which allows Diaby to waste another one-on-one by sending the ball straight to Kretzschmar, who says thank you. Majetschak and Marcos Paulo soon come into play, and Gerometta follows not much later as the game once again seems to slow down to a crawl.

The right back breaks the lull with a surprising attempt from 25 yards away that bounces off the crossbar and over, but it's just a blip in a very empty radar, and minutes go by without any further chances. In the 81st we wake the fans up again with a great movement and assist by Maldini towards Rijkhoff, who nonetheless can't beat a well-positioned Vandevoordt. Even better is the striker's chance in the 88th after a fantastic pass by Da Silva, but this time he can't even find the target with his miskick and the ball rolls harmlessly wide. Injury time doesn't bring any shockers, and the game ends as it was meant to end.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 0
Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0

- - -

Not brilliant, no. Still, I'll take the point against a very strong Leverkusen. The match was very even, with both teams having good chances to steal the win, but I'd say we about edged it in the second half, those two last chances by Rijkhoff should've gone in. Oh well.

* * *

| Pos | Team                | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | GD    | Pts   | Form  | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 1st | RB Leipzig          | 17    | 12    | 3     | 2     | 39    | 21    | 18    | 39    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 2nd | FC Bayern           | 17    | 11    | 3     | 3     | 45    | 12    | 33    | 36    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 3rd | Borussia Dortmund   | 17    | 11    | 2     | 4     | 32    | 12    | 20    | 35    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 4th | Bayer Leverkusen    | 17    | 10    | 3     | 4     | 29    | 15    | 14    | 33    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 5th | Borussia M'gladbach | 17    | 11    | 0     | 6     | 27    | 17    | 10    | 33    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 6th | 1860 München        | 17    | 9     | 5     | 3     | 27    | 16    | 11    | 32    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 7th | Hamburg             | 17    | 9     | 2     | 6     | 19    | 14    | 5     | 29    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 8th | Freiburg            | 17    | 7     | 6     | 4     | 26    | 21    | 5     | 27    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 9th | Köln                | 17    | 6     | 6     | 5     | 22    | 20    | 2     | 24    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 10th| Frankfurt           | 17    | 7     | 3     | 7     | 21    | 25    | -4    | 24    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 11th| Stuttgart           | 17    | 7     | 2     | 8     | 21    | 30    | -9    | 23    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 12th| Mainz               | 17    | 5     | 3     | 9     | 19    | 30    | -11   | 18    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 13th| Hertha BSC          | 17    | 4     | 6     | 7     | 11    | 23    | -12   | 18    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 14th| Wolfsburg           | 17    | 4     | 4     | 9     | 13    | 22    | -9    | 16    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 15th| Fortuna Düsseldorf  | 17    | 4     | 3     | 10    | 25    | 38    | -13   | 15    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 16th| Nürnberg            | 17    | 2     | 5     | 10    | 16    | 36    | -20   | 11    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 17th| Union Berlin        | 17    | 1     | 5     | 11    | 12    | 35    | -23   | 8     |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 18th| Hoffenheim          | 17    | 0     | 5     | 12    | 17    | 34    | -17   | 5     |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 

Holding onto the European places, which is slightly disappointing considering we were leaders only three weeks ago, but it's still our goal for the season. Even the seventh place would be more than welcome if it gives us access to the Conference League, all I want is to dip my toes into Europe, no matter the level, and to make it our regular home from now on. Steady growth and all that.

Leipzig seem to be the in-form team of the moment, although considering how many twists and turns this season is having I wouldn't be surprised at all to see a completely different leader come the next update. Bayern are looking good, Dortmund are recovering, and Leverkusen seem to be floundering a bit, with Gladbach silently keeping track of everyone and HSV (great season for them, too) and Freiburg on the outside looking in. At the bottom, the Hoffenheim nightmare continues, still winless but somehow still within spitting distance of salvation, since neither Nürnberg nor Union are doing much better. Hertha's position is shocking, though, and they'd better be careful if they don't want a nasty surprise come the end of the season.

* * *

PLAYER STATS
============

Average rating (min. 6 games played):

Niklas Lang              7.34 (12(1) apps)
Josha Vagnoman           7.27 (12(3) apps)
Can Sapmaz               7.27 (8(5) apps)
Mateja Stjepanovic       7.24 (15(1) apps)
Matías Miranda           7.16 (14(4) apps)

Special mention for Urko, with a 7.20 average after 4(1) appearances.

Goals:

Julian Rijkhoff          6 goals
Can Sapmaz               5
Matías Miranda           4
Nahuel Bustos            4
2 players                2

Assists: 

Can Sapmaz               4 assists
Marcos Paulo             4
Josha Vagnoman           4
Matías Miranda           3
Manu Sánchez             3

 

[Dalbeider]

Dec 20th 2026

The short winter break starts, and it's time to make plans for the upcoming window. I'm expecting a call from the board to renegotiate season objectives soon, and depending on what we get from that I might consider doing some business this January, particularly when it comes to signing a senior full back and, perhaps, replacing some underperforming pieces (Bustos and 't Zand come to mind, although the former seems to be turning a new page lately). Worth remembering that young Karlsen is returning from his loan, which will add another piece to our midfield and, maybe, attack. A somewhat unripe piece, of course, but one with lots of promise.

Jan 1st 2027

Happy new year!

Here comes Karlsen, back from a successful stint back in Norway, and straight into the senior team. We'll give him some minutes in the upcoming matches, if he does well 't Zand might be on the way out sooner rather than later. Karlsen will most likely stay with us until the end of the season regardless, though, he's still 18 and good training and random first-team minutes here and there should help him develop.

We're officially in the red. Shouldn't be an issue, since all the prize money come the end of the season should more than cover our losses throughout the year, but still, doesn't feel very nice. It'll also make the board somewhat more reluctant to hand me more money for transfers.

Apparently Bayern want to buy Moukoko from Dortmund. Classic Bayern...

The transfer window starts with two jokes: Nürnberg try to steal Manu Sánchez away from us for a paltry €1.3M, while Hoffenheim try the same with Miranda with a much more respectable €6.5M offer. Problem is, neither player is interested in moving, so it's an easy nope for both of them.

Jan 2nd 2027

And suddenly things get very serious in the transfer market: RB Leipzig offer €7.75M for Vagnoman, who is obviously interested in moving to one of the best teams in the country. The offer is obviously insufficient given Vagnoman's value is over €10M, so we try to negotiate a bit: €10M upfront and €5M in installments. Surprisingly, Leipzig immediately accept. Nothing like having all the money in the world, I guess... This means we now *really* need to look hard into buying a new full back, probably two unless we can find another versatile player who can play both sides like Vagnoman.

* * *

NK Lokomotiva Zagreb vs. TSV 1860 München (Friendly)

A rare away match for our winter friendly, paying a visit to Zagreb to play NK Lokomotiva, currently fifth in the Croatian Prva Liga. This might also be Vagnoman's last game for us, a real shame but that's the life of a seller club. Vagnoman himself quickstarts our first goal with a cross towards Miranda, who nods it to Rijkhoff for an easy finish. The striker also bags the second with a nice sidestep around the keeper to complete a long ball from deep by Da Silva, then Maldini taps in a cross by Marcos Paulo to make it three. A great ball from Urko allows Marcos Paulo to score the fourth just before halftime, and in the second half Majetschak assists Ulrich for the fifth with a great pass into space. There's still time for Bustos to score the 0-6 after gathering the ball following a shot by Ulrich into the post. Not a bad run-out.

NK Lokomotiva Zagreb 0
TSV 1860 München 6 (Julian Rijkhoff 15 32, Daniel Maldini 33, Marcos Paulo 45+2, Laurin Ulrich 65, Nahuel Bustos 84)

Jan 3rd 2027

The board decide to cut the amount of transfer revenue we can retain in our budget to 55% citing "concerns over the wage budget". You're not helping, guys... Also, where's my call to update expectations?

Jan 5th 2027

With Vagnoman on the way out we make our first move to replace him, and it's a big one: 24yo Swedish left back Daniel Svensson joins from Young Boys in exchange for €6M upfront, €1M after 50 league appearances, and a 20% of future profits. A big expense, but worth it for a player with bags of quality and who'll put some pressure on Manu Sánchez for the starter role. A great all-rounder full back, good on attack and defense and with the physique to do both at the same time, he gives us some extra quality in a position in which we've had trouble historically. His wages, €24k per week, aren't particularly high given the current standards, so that's also a plus.

Jan 8th 2027

Another left back, young Rung, is attracting some unwanted attention from Wolfsburg. The kid has a €2.5M release clause that they could trigger at any moment, so it's probably a good moment to extend his contract and loan him out, since he won't have any first team minutes after Svensson's arrival. Problem is, he doesn't seem to be interested in that idea...

Vagnoman confirms his transfer to RB Leipzig, leaving behind a hefty profit. Not as much as it looks like, though, since a bit over €4M go to Union Berlin due to his sell-on clause. Still, a very nice piece of business for us, since we signed him for €1.4M a year and a half ago. A solid performer for us on either side of the defense, his versatility will be missed for sure, as will be his great form so far this season. We'll have to sign a right back now, of course, since Gerometta is right now our only option there.

Jan 9th 2027

TSV 1860 München (6th) vs. Hertha BSC (13th) (Bundesliga, 18/34)

The transfer market takes a backseat for a moment, as we must focus now on the return of the Bundesliga. Hertha have been historically a thorn on our side, as we have failed to win against them six times out of six so far, yet we find ourselves in a position in which we can actually look down upon them on the table, and their form isn't exactly the best either. A good chance to set the record straight and solidify our European challenge a bit further.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Daniel Svensson (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Matías Miranda (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
HERTHA (3-3-2-2): Ersin Destanoglu (GK); Andrew Omobamidele (DCr), Alejandro Francés (DC), Omar Alderete (DCl); Pedro Porro (WBr), Julian Weigl (DM), Melvin Bard (WBl); Suat Serdar (MCr), Lucas Tousart (MCl); Mirko Nikolasevic (STr), Charles De Ketelaere (STl)

* * *

Another formation we hadn't seen in a while, the 3-3-2-2 was Fortuna's tactic of choice until a couple of years ago, and now Dardái's Hertha seem to have taken a liking to it. Svensson debuts today, and Karlsen awaits his chance to debut on the bench. We spend the first twenty minutes practically living inside Hertha's half of the pitch, bottling them up inside their box but failing to find a way through their overpopulated defense. Vuskovic gets desperate enough to try a left-footed shot from distance that goes nowhere near the target in the 22nd minute, and that's still our best "chance" until then.

Stjepanovic gets much closer five minutes later, gathering a pass inside the box and shooting straight into the top right corner... of the frame. Marcos Paulo follows with a wide finish in a set piece taken by Miranda, and it looks like we're finally getting the proverbial ball rolling. Hertha wake up too, and a cross by Porro is volleyed with danger by De Ketelaere, forcing Kretzschmar into a difficult fingertip save to deflect it over. Svensson starts showing his quality with a good cross towards the far post, where Maldini heads it into Destanoglu's save, then Rijkhoff heads the following corner kick narrowly over to close the first half.

HALF TIME - 0-0

Hertha look a bit more attacking in the second half, Tousart even trying a wide long-range effort seven minutes. Bustos and 't Zand soon replace the disappointing Rijkhoff and Marcos Paulo, and soon Maldini has a chance to score that ends up blocked by approximately five defenders at the same time. Miranda follows with a high ball from the edge of the box after 't Zand passes it back from the inside, then tries again from farther afar, finding the target this time but also the goalkeeper. Momentum is ours, though, and in the 66th we finally strike gold: Svensson crosses towards Maldini, the winger nods the ball into the small box, and Da Silva hits it first time to surprise Destanoglu and everyone else in the stadium and score the 1-0.

Our goalscorer soon walks towards the bench to give young Karlsen his first minutes with the senior team, and the kid soon makes his presence felt with a pass towards Svensson alongside the edge of the box, allowing the wing back a chance to shoot well over the bar. Hertha don't seem to have much to show despite the result, and only a dangerous run by Pedro Porro gives us some pause, but Kretzschmar times his rush perfectly and doesn't even allow him a shot. We keep the ball near our feet for the rest of the match without issue, securing an important win.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 1 (Florent Da Silva 66)
Hertha BSC 0

- - -

That took some time. We controlled the game almost completely, only allowing Hertha a few approaches mostly generated through set pieces, yet we almost failed to win this, sigh. I'm glad we don't have to face 3-5-2s too often nowadays, they're always a pain in the rearside. Good debut for Svensson, one of the best players on the pitch today, and decent showing for Karlsen in midfield. Hertha won't go anywhere but down if they keep playing like a small team.

[Dalbeider]

Jan 10th 2027

And here's our new right back: 24yo French defender Thierno Baldé joins from Valencia in a €3.6M transfer, including a 20% of future profits. A former PSG youth product (yes, they have those too), Baldé has already played for Monaco, Lens, and Valencia despite his relatively young age, and has done a very solid job at each of them despite never being a sure starter. Physically very strong and fast, he loves going forward on the right flank, which is exactly what we want from our full backs. He's also a capable center-back in case of emergencies, and his €16k weekly wages are on the low end of the squad, another plus. His contract includes a €10M release clause for Champions League teams.

Jan 12th 2027

Svensson makes the Team of the Week in his debut, nice.

Jan 13th 2027

Yep, Bayern did sign Moukoko, €108M go Dortmund's way. Guess they want a long-term replacement for Lewandowski and what better way to find it than weakening your main domestic rival, huh. As I said earlier, classic Bayern.

Jan 15th 2027

Welp, more unwanted transfer movement around us: Freiburg make a €4.5M offer for Majetschak. Now, unlike Vagnoman the midfielder is having a pretty average year, and his departure would save us some money in wages and also would open up some space for Ulrich and Karlsen to play more often, so there's some upside here. The offer falls a bit short, though, so after some negotiation we settle on €6M upfront and €1.5M in installments, pretty close to his release clause for Champions League teams. If he finally leaves (extremely likely) we'll only reinvest in a replacement if we find an absolute bargain, otherwise we'll do with our youngsters as backups and Urko/Vuskovic whenever we need someone with a bit more defensive presence in there.

On the topic of unwanted transfers, young left back Tjark Rung agrees a move to Wolfsburg. He was going to leave one way or another since he wasn't interested in a loan (Ingolstadt had made an offer which he rejected) nor in extending his contract, so I decided to negotiate a deal before Wolfsburg just decided to splash €2.5M and call it a day. The deal will include €1M upfront, €750k in installments, €750k after 20 league appearances, and a hefty 50% of future profits as the major benefit of the negotiation. Not a sale I'm happy with since the kid had lots of promise, but business is business after all.

Hoffenheim also keep making offers for Miranda but the player is not particularly interested, so just more background noise.

Jan 17th 2027

1.FSV Mainz 05 (13th) vs. TSV 1860 München (4th) (Bundesliga, 19/34)

Back to football, once again against a team in the bottom half of the table and that likes plugging the center of the pitch with a truckload of players. Mainz are having a pretty decent season given the expectations, and have just landed a €20M+ transfer to reinforce their survival chances even further. Somehow I fear them more than Hertha right now...

* * *

MAINZ (4-4-2 diamond narrow): Marvin Schwäbe (GK); Joe Scally (DR), Mathias Farnes Gabrielsen (DCr), Márton Dárdai (DCl), Iago (DL); Adrian Fein (DM), Syver Aas (MCr), Wassim Essanoussi (MCl), Paulos Abraham (AMC); Tore Os (STr), Alessio Besio (STl)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Thierno Baldé (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Urko (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Matías Miranda (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)

* * *

Rotation almost everywhere today, with Baldé's debut and Lomónaco's first match after his last injury as the highlights. Mainz look much more attacking than Hertha last week, putting us under some early pressure, but leaving space behind we use to hit them back through Da Silva and Bustos, who shoots into Schwäbe's punching save to finish our first attack. Mainz still have the initiative, though, and in the 13th minute Besio breaks the offside trap and runs down the left before crossing towards Os, who places a cute little volley past Kretzschmar to score the 1-0.

Os tries for a second immediately after following a long pass into space, but this time he can't hit the ball correctly and there's no problem for our keeper. We soon start having more control of the ball and start pushing them back, although with little to show regarding chances. We finally find a way through in the 35th, with Baldé assisting Sapmaz so the winger can shoot from a tight angle and force Schwäbe into conceding a corner kick. We keep the pressure up, but other than a blocked finish by Bustos we find nothing, while Mainz hit us on the counter with Iago crossing and Besio heading it narrowly over. Lots to work on for the second half.

HALF TIME - 1-0

The second half starts as badly as it gets: knock on Manu Sánchez, who is immediately replaced by Svensson. But then fate decides it owes us one: Kretzschmar clears with a long kick upfield, Farnes Gabrielsen fails in his estimation of the ball's flight, and Bustos profits from that by gathering the ball behind the defense and bending it around Schwäbe to draw the game. Morale suddenly rises on our side, and it isn't even two minutes before Bustos almost grabs a second following a great cross by Svensson, but this time Schwäbe does well to deflect it over the bar, then blocks another shot by Bustos in the corner kick that follows.

We're clearly in command now, and Sapmaz keeps the pressure up with a header that the keeper saves well. Rijkhoff comes in for Marcos Paulo a bit later, moving Bustos to the left and giving us even more gunpowder upfront. Our attack seems to dry up right then, though, and after ten minutes without further chances we bring Ulrich in Miranda's place, which doesn't seem to do much either. Meanwhile Mainz don't do much with the ball either, and other than a direct free kick Dárdai sends over the bar in the 75th they don't trouble us at all. One minute later we gift them another chance through a bad pass by Svensson, but thankfully Besio rushes too much to shoot and makes it easy for Kretzschmar.

It looks like we might be about to gift the game back to Mainz, but then Sapmaz shows up to change things, gathering a long ball in the right wing and passing it back to Rijkhoff, who hits it with power and precision to put it out of Schwäbe's reach and score the 1-2. Kretzschmar then does well to save and hold a finish by Aas in a counter through the center, while Mainz move to a 4-3-3 formation in the final minutes. It doesn't do them any good, and the result remains favorable to us until the end.

* * *

1.FSV Mainz 05 1 (Tore Os 14)
TSV 1860 München 2 (Nahuel Bustos 47, Julian Rijkhoff 80)

- - -

Nice comeback, and good improvement in our general play in the second half after a pretty week first forty-five minutes. Our forwards had to carry the team today, since our wings were mostly just there and our defense, particularly the right half, looked frail and not very productive in attack. Baldé's debut performance was on the "eh" side, while Svensson once again did really well despite only playing the second half. Nothing serious for Sánchez in the end, by the way... In any case, a good result that puts us four points ahead of both Leverkusen and Gladbach in the fourth place, while Bayern retake the lead after Leipzig's defeat at home against the now Moukoko-less Dortmund.

[Dalbeider]

Jan 19th 2027

Gechter finally moves to Freiburg for €9M. A shame we couldn't justify spending on him right now, but defense is not a priority at the moment for us. Hope he'll do better there than in Leverkusen, at least.

Huh, random callup for Svensson with Sweden, which happens completely outside of any regular international window because Sweden have to play a friendly game against Cyprus of all teams. Weird. He'll miss our game against Leipzig thanks to this, which sucks.

Jan 20th 2027

Well, crap. Best moment for Manu Sánchez to catch a cold. I'll risk treating him at the club, otherwise there's a very good chance he wouldn't recover in time for the weekend and we'd be without a left back.

Jan 21st 2027

More injuries: Lomónaco pulls his groin and will miss about a week, just enough to rule him out against Leipzig. He's not having the best of years when it comes to injuries so far, really...

Jan 23rd 2027

Just before the game Majetschak confirms his €7.5M transfer to Freiburg, leaving a good profit behind (signed for €500k, Porto get €1.4M due to clauses) and many good performances, particularly in his first season with us in which he basically kept us alive in the Bundesliga all by himself. His form has been a bit on the decline ever since, though, so it was the right moment to cash out. As mentioned, the market for midfielders is a bit impossible right now, and our current budget won't allow us to find a good replacement, so we'll trust our current players and youngsters to fill the gap for now.

* * *

TSV 1860 München (4th) vs. RasenBallsport Leipzig (2nd) (Bundesliga, 20/34)

Good timing for this match, really. We've been looking good as of late, while Leipzig just got smacked down from the top spot by Dortmund when they were looking like running away with it. They're not invincible, and we plan to prove it once again today.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Matías Miranda (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Nahuel Bustos (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
RB LEIPZIG (4-2-3-1): Alexander Nübel (GK); Joao Mário (DR), Kamil Piatkowski (DCr), Felix Uduokhai (DCl), Angeliño (DL); Paulo Bernardo (MCr), Jakub Moder (MCl); Dani Olmo (AMR), Andrew Moran (AMC), Alan Velasco (AML); Fabio Carvalho (ST)

* * *

Looks like we're not the only ones hit by international callups today: Leipzig lose both Barrow and Daka, probably their two best attacking players, plus right back Wilfried Singo due to the African Cup of Nations that's currently ongoing, so I can't complain too much about Svensson being gone. Yet another stormy evening greets the players, and Bustos seems to like it, trying a bending shot from the edge of the box that goes narrowly wide only forty seconds into the game. Moran has the answer for Leipzig, stealing the ball from Vuskovic and testing Kretzschmar from distance to a good response by the keeper, then Moder gives us a huge scare in the corner kick by sending his header into the post.

Both teams keep trading blows, and we strike back once again through Bustos, who gathers a great pass by Rijkhoff but finds Nübel in the way of his finish. Next up is Maldini, shooting wide to finish a quick break, and next Stjepanovic has to stretch to block a dangerous finish by Carvalho in another counterattack. Next up is Joao Mario shooting over the bar with his not-so-good left foot, followed by Rijkhoff shooting wide after a pass into space by Gerometta. Extremely entertaining game so far, even if no one seems to have great aim when it comes to finishing. That ends in the 23rd: cross by Angeliño and easy header by Carvalho, who finally scores the 0-1 for Leipzig.

We reel a bit after the goal, and Moder almost profits from it with a long distance effort that Kretzschmar blocks with a spectacular flight. Sánchez is looking a bit exhausted after just recovering from illness today, and his wing is exploited by Moran to find space in the 41st, cross into the box, and find Carvalho once again for another easy finish and the 0-2. Another possession lost leads to another shot by Moder and another great save by Kretzschmar, and we welcome the relief of half time when it finally arrives. Not looking good.

HALF TIME - 0-2

Sánchez needs to be taken out, but we have no other left backs in the squad, so we have to rely on Baldé playing as an inverted wing back, which might actually help us a bit when it comes to getting the ball out of the defense through Leipzig's pressure. And presto, we're back in the game: Gerometta gathers a pass on the right wing and crosses low towards Rijkhoff, who rifles it in through a defender's legs and into the net to pull us one goal closer with under two minutes gone. But we throw it away three minutes later when Stjepanovic fails to dribble past Moran, loses the ball, and Carvalho takes the pass to beat Kretzschmar in the one-on-one and make it a hattrick for himself.

The keeper redeems himself with a good fingertip save to deny Velasco a bit later, then with an incredible block to Moder's point-blank header in the following corner kick. Urko and Marcos Paulo replace Miranda and Bustos trying to give us some hope for what remains, but all we manage is to limit Leipzig's attacks a bit, allowing only a weak header by Moder that Kretzschmar saves with ease in the next fifteen minutes. Burkardt has a much better chance a bit later, but thankfully he sends his finish wide when there was no one anywhere near him. We don't even get any luck with the VAR, as it disallows a goal by Maldini due to Rijkhoff's offside position, when the striker didn't even touch the ball.

The final minutes see us trying our best to push forward and look for a way into the game while Leipzig rely on counterattacks to keep us on our toes. One of those counters forces Stjepanovic into another last-second block to prevent a goal by Burkardt, while Vagnoman enters the game in the final ten minutes so the fans can give him a warm welcome back. In injury time there's more bad news for us in the shape of an injury to Maldini, but the result doesn't move any further. A humbling defeat.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 1 (Julian Rijkhoff 47)
RasenBallsport Leipzig 3 (Fábio Carvalho 23 41 50)

- - -

Humbling is the word, yes. Absolutely fair result, although it must be said that if any of our early chances had gone in we might be talking about a whole different scenario here. An unfit Sánchez with no available alternatives in his position cost us a lot today, although the performance by our midfielders and wing attackers was once again pretty poor. We need more than this to actually challenge for a title, and we'll see if it's enough to challenge for Europe in the end. First home defeat in twelve games, by the way.

Maldini's injury is actually quite serious, a sprain in his ankle ligaments which will keep him out of the game for three to four weeks. Time for Sapmaz to regain his former magic touch!

[Dalbeider]

Jan 24th 2027

With Majetschak gone we need a replacement for the vice-captain role. Seniority mandates that Kretzschmar takes the armband, and the keeper accepts the role happily.

Jan 26th 2027

Poor Svensson. Not only is he forced to miss one of the biggest games of the season, he's put in the bench and only allowed to play for forty minutes, and then he makes a mistake that ends with Cyprus scoring the only goal of the game. That's gotta sting.

Jan 27th 2027

Young midfielder Jurgen van Santen finally finds a loan move and joins Franzke in Wiesbaden, currently dead last in the 2.Bundesliga. Center-back Morgalla joins him a couple of hours later. No other youngsters seem to be attracting any loan interest from anywhere, which is a huge shame.

Jan 28th 2027

Miranda catches a cold one day before our next league match, fantastic timing. Guess that's a start for either Ulrich or Karlsen then.

Jan 29th 2027

Fortuna Düsseldorf (13th) vs. TSV 1860 München (4th) (Bundesliga, 21/34)

We've been playing lots of thirteenth-placed teams lately, huh. There's a DFB Pokal game midweek with Leipzig once again coming to town to put us under the wringer, but first we have to deal with the arguably more important trip to Düsseldorf. Fortuna are once again doing pretty well this season, although they're only four points above the relegation playoff. If we want to play with the big guys we need to beat the smaller ones first.

* * *

DÜSSELDORF (4-4-2): Florian Kastenmeier (GK); Benjamin Henrichs (DR), Christoph Klarer (DCr), Kevin Schlotterbeck (DCl), Pietro Beruatto (DL); Kevin Munz (MR), Santiago Ascacibar (MCr), Ilay Elmkies (MCl), Robin Hack (ML); Gonçalo Ramos (STr), Rafael Santos Borré (STl)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Thierno Baldé (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Daniel Svensson (DL); Urko (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Laurin Ulrich (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

Huge rotation today, both to keep some of our starters fresh for the cup and to compensate for our injuries. Fortuna change their 4-2-3-1 from our last meeting into a flat 4-4-2, which should give us the advantage in midfield. That's the theory at least, but in practice possession is split in the first fifteen minutes with a slight advantage for the home team. Shots are hard to come by, though, with only a cushioned header by Elmkies eleven minutes in giving Kretzschmar something to do. Four minutes later we answer with another header, this one by Rijkhoff after a good cross by Svensson and slightly over the bar.

The match continues in the same yawn-inducing way for a while longer, with Fortuna pressing high and not allowing us to build our play, but then failing to do much of profit when they regain possession. A free kick that Da Silva sends into the barrier is the closest thing to a chance the next fifteen minutes see, but in the 36th an isolated run and cross by Munz finds Ramos with the advantage over Lomónaco and the striker just taps it in unopposed to score the 1-0. Another chance for Ramos three minutes later ends with the ball in Kretzschmar's hands, and the first half ends with Henrichs heading a cross by Beruatto over the bar. Lots to improve.

HALF TIME - 1-0

We come storming out of the gates in the second half, with Marcos Paulo heading a cross by Da Silva into Kastenmeier's gloves only twenty seconds after kick off. Seven minutes later a pinpoint pass by Ulrich sets Rijkhoff up for a one-on-one with the keeper, but the striker wastes it with a powerful but woefully inaccurate finish. 't Zand and Stjepanovic are our first substitutions a bit later, replacing the disappointments of the day in Marcos Paulo (yet another one) and Lomónaco, while Baldé tries luck from distance and finds only the space above the crossbar. Bustos comes in next in Rijkhoff's place.

Fortuna have been quiet until now, but yet another isolated cross, this one by substitute Köhlert from the left, sets up Santos Borré for another easy tap-in at the near post, this time escaping Stjepanovic's attention, and now our job has been made doubly difficult. Not like we do much to earn a different result, though, as we fail to hit back and instead have to watch as Elmkies tears our defense through the center and only fails to score thanks to Kretzschmar being there. We can only manage a wide shot from distance by Da Silva in the 84th and a better chance initiated by Bustos and finished by Da Silva into Kastenmeier's gloves one minute later, and that's nowhere close to enough to deserve anything out of this match.

* * *

Fortuna Düsseldorf 2 (Gonçalo Ramos 36, Rafael Santos Borré 66)
TSV 1860 München 0

- - -

Our worst game of the season so far, no competition. Only Baldé and Lang showed any kind of quality today, and they were undone by the key mistakes of their partners in defense that allowed the goals. First time we lose twice in a row this season, and it's likely to be three with Leipzig visiting again next. Somehow this doesn't cost us any places in the Bundesliga table, though, as everyone involved in the European hustle loses or draws today except for Leipzig, who regain the first place.

[Dalbeider]

Feb 1st 2027

Transfer window day! We have around €7M to spend and €40k available in weekly wages, but that seems to not be enough to find a good starting-level midfielder in today's market. Available loans don't improve much on our youngsters either, so it's pointless to squander their development just for marginal short-term gains. As such, unless someone pops up in our radar out of nowhere, it's unlikely we'll make any moves today. Unless someone leaves, of course.

First offer we receive is a minor one: Juan Mosquera, reserve striker without much of a future here, attracts Nürnberg's attention and receives a €210k + €40k after 10 league appearances + €40k after 20 league goals + 30% of future profits offer which we accept happily. Another youngster, defensive midfielder Patrick Djé Bi, will also be moving after Aue make a €250k-ish offer and other clubs join in the bid war. Neither of the two had any chance of ever making the first team, so this is a net gain.

A slightly more annoying offer comes from Hannover, who want to loan Sapmaz. Would be a hard no even if he weren't our only healthy right winger as of right now.

Djé Bi moves to Heidenberg in the end in a simple deal: €275k upfront, 30% of future profits. Mosquera also confirms his transfer to Nürnberg for the previously stated fee. With these two sales we've already collected almost €35M in transfer fees this season, shattering our previous record.

As always the craziest bids come in the final hour of the window. First Empoli want to loan Miranda with a mandatory €6.5M fee attached, which of course we reject outright because it's ridiculous. The next one is more worrying, though: Leipzig remain focused in dismantling our defense and offer €14.25M for Stjepanovic. If they hadn't waited until the very last moment for this I might have considered negotiating a fee around €25M, but as it is our chances of finding someone of equal quality to replace him within forty-five minutes are close to zero, so it's a big nope, no matter how angry the player might get as a result. And he does get angry, oh yes he does...

And with that final scare, the window shuts down. Now the fun part will be dealing with an unhappy Stjepanovic for the rest of the season... Let's hope making it to Europe cheers him up. There's an alternate universe somewhere out there in which this offer comes before Gechter moves to Freiburg, with predictable results. Oh well.

Feb 3rd 2027

TSV 1860 München vs. RasenBallsport Leipzig (DFB Pokal, 3rd round)

Look who's back in town. The source of most of our current pains pay us yet another visit in the cup in a tie in which we can afford to take things easy, since our goal for the season has already been reached with our presence in this round. Of course I won't say no to a place in the quarterfinals, but considering we have a league game in three days I won't be going all-in here. With some luck Leipzig will do the same and we can have a chance regardless.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Valentino Quintero (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Martin Karlsen (MCr), Matías Miranda (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Shiloh 't Zand (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)
RB LEIPZIG (4-2-3-1): Alexander Nübel (GK); Wilfried Singo (DR), Kamil Piatkowski (DCr), Felix Uduokhai (DCl), Angeliño (DL); Paulo Bernardo (MCr), Jakub Moder (MCl); Fabio Carvalho (AMR), Dani Olmo (AMC), Alan Velasco (AML); Patson Daka (ST)

* * *

Rotation again, because of course. Karlsen gets his first start and 't Zand returns to the starting eleven after a long while, given how absolutely terrible Marcos Paulo has been as of late. Leipzig move some pieces around with the return of Singo and Daka, but otherwise keep a team quite close to what we faced two weeks ago. As expected they go on the attack from the start, soon creating a chance for Daka which the striker heads into Quintero's save. We don't just take it and bear it, though, and a quick run by Sapmaz down the right allows Karlsen our first chance, which sadly ends up blocked by Uduokhai.

Leipzig keep pushing, but our defense does good work to prevent any of their attempts from reaching Quintero's domain. That is, until in the 24th a ball lost in midfield leads to Velasco assisting Dani Olmo through the center, and the placed finish goes past our keeper and into the net for the 0-1. Daka almost scores a second immediately after following another mistake in midfield, this one by Vuskovic, but thankfully he sends it wide when the goal looked almost certain. We hit back through 't Zand, who receives a nice through ball from Sánchez but fails to make Nübel sweat even a little bit with his centered finish.

On the other end, Quintero has it equally easy to hold a weak finish by Angeliño, then initiates a quick counter with a long kick that Bustos finishes with a narrowly wide shot. The striker soon has another chance after a good ball from 't Zand, but once again fails to make it count and Nübel swats the ball away. Still, we at least have managed to put some pressure on Leipzig, even though the ref's whistle signaling the end of the first half still finds us trailing.

HALF TIME - 0-1

We keep playing quite well in the early second half, although we don't really turn that good play into actual chances, the best one a wide finish by Bustos that had already been called out for offside. On the other hand Leipzig don't hit us back us much, but when they do it's dangerously, and Quintero is called upon to perform against a dangerous volley by Moder, which he deflects away with a well-timed dive. The keeper has more work to do soon, blocking a point-blank header by Paulo Bernardo in a set piece, moments before Rijkhoff replaces Sapmaz and Da Silva takes Miranda's place.

Not much happens in the next ten minutes, after which it's Marcos Paulo's turn to join the fray. Moments later a long clearance by Leipzig's defense turns into an assist when Daka wins the race against Stjepanovic and doesn't miss in the one-on-one against Quintero, scoring the 0-2 and basically killing the game for good. Quintero saves a third with a flipping deflection to Le Fée shot from the penalty spot, and then does it again thanks to a badly placed finish by the substitute. A couple of off-target long distance attempts by Paulo Bernardo and Moder follow while we look dead on the pitch, all our spirit from the first half gone. The game ends shortly afterwards, thankfully.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 0
RasenBallsport Leipzig 2 (Dani Olmo 24, Patson Daka 69)

- - -

Eh. Not sure what to make of this game, really. We played some very nice football both right before and right after halftime, but the rest was a mess. Gerometta and Quintero had very nice individual performances, but the overall feel of the team was of not caring particularly much about the result, which wasn't nice to see. Out of the cup at around the expected time, and now we need to pick ourselves back up and focus on what matters.

[Dalbeider]

Feb 5th 2027

Urko will miss out on our next match with a bruised thigh. Not ideal, since he was going to start tomorrow and Vuskovic is probably still a bit tired after the midweek fixture.

Feb 6th 2027

TSV 1860 München (4th) vs. 1.FC Nürnberg (15th) (Bundesliga, 22/34)

About time we get a win, and we couldn't have hoped for a better chance to do so. Or well, yes, there are three better options than Nürnberg currently, but a team that has just escaped from the playoff spot is probably a team we should be beating even on a bad day. And we've had a bunch of these lately, it's time to buck the trend.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Thierno Baldé (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Daniel Svensson (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Matías Miranda (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
NÜRNBERG (4-4-2): Jan Olschowsky (GK); Brooks Lennon (DR), Armel Bella-Kotchap (DCr), Mortiz Heyer (DCl), Valentín Barco (DL); Lothar Danhof (MR), Ilai Madmon (MCr), Mads Bidstrup (MCl), Jannes Horn (ML); Nicholas Gioacchini (STr), Iñaki Larthirigoyen (STl)

* * *

Almost full rotation once again, minus Vuskovic and Sapmaz for obvious injury reasons. Nürnberg have a very changed lineup since our last meeting, and actually give us an early scare with a blocked shot by Gioacchini in the first minute, then go on to keep us under check for the first ten minutes. There's a moment of doubt when Rijkhoff seems to be fouled inside the box, but VAR quickly rules out any kind of penalty there. It's still a sign that we're finally getting into the right positions, and soon Marcos Paulo sends over the bar our first chance of the game.

That shot turns out to be our last for the next ten minutes, when Miranda finally gets another attempt in from distance that goes wide to the left of the target. By now more than half of the first forty-five have gone by and neither team has really tested the opposing keeper. That finally comes in the 32nd with a header by Marcos Paulo that Olschowksy saves and holds well, and our best minutes follow from there, culminating in a clearly offside goal by Rijkhoff in the 38th minute. There are no more chances until halftime, but at least we're deserving the win today.

HALF TIME - 0-0

Nürnberg once again start the second half looking forward with a high ball from the edge of the box by Horn, then a wide finish by Larthirigoyen after a long goal kick finds its way to the striker. We answer with a rare right-footed volley by Svensson after a cross by Baldé, wide but not by much, and then we finally find a wide gap in the left flank to attack through, Marcos Paulo gathers the ball inside the box and then crosses low towards the center, allowing Rijkhoff an easy tap-in to score the 1-0.

Gioacchini tries to respond for the visitors with a header to Barco's cross, but Kretzschmar only has to watch as it rolls wide to his right. Much closer goes Larthirigoyen's next try, running into space through the center and only failing to score thanks to our miracle worker working another miracle save. Bustos takes the right wing from Sapmaz then, and his first action is to send a long ball ahead of Rijkhoff and behind the defense so the striker can round the keeper and easily slot it in. Too bad he was offside by inches.

Our young midfielders then enter the game, Ulrich replacing Vuskovic in the anchor and Karlsen in Da Silva's place. Soon we enjoy a pretty good double chance that Olschowksy stops twice, blocking finishes from Marcos Paulo and Miranda in quick succession. The keeper does it a gain to deny Rijkhoff a second goal, tipping his powerful shot over the bar. Bustos has the last chance to score the second in injury time, but once again Olschowsky is there to keep the ball away from the net. Thankfully we still dominate the late game despite our misses and Nürnberg never have a real chance to pull an upset. Back to winning ways.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 1 (Julian Rijkhoff 59)
1.FC Nürnberg 0

- - -

Good enough, if a bit short given how much better we were throughout the game. Good team performance in general and by our whole defense in particular, for a change. Hopefully this will be the trigger that restores the team's morale and pushes us towards our goals. We sure need the boost, there's a few decisive fixtures incoming. Losses for most teams chasing us makes this result even sweeter, although Hamburg and Stuttgart do creep into the Europa League places three points behind us.

[Dalbeider]

Feb 9th 2027

Lang and Baldé make the Team of the Week, the first appearance for the right back.

Feb 10th 2027

Nürnberg shock Leipzig in the DFB Pokal quarterfinals and join Wolfsburg, Bayern, and Hoffenheim in the semis. Or, in other words, Bayern plus two relegation candidates and one relegation certainty. Talk about lucky...

Feb 13th 2027

Sport-Club Freiburg (8th) vs. TSV 1860 München (4th) (Bundesliga, 23/34)

Entering the decisive phase of the Bundesliga season. Freiburg are one of a handful of teams behind us who are still within spitting distance, only five points behind, and who will want to take all the points from us today to increase the pressure on the fourth place, the only Champions League position they can realistically hope to achieve. We need to avoid that, of course, and if we can get the win today it'll mean knocking one dangerous rival for Europe out of the race for the time being. Key game.

* * *

FREIBURG (4-2-3-1): Pontus Dahlberg (GK); Felix Passlack (DR), Linus Gechter (DCr), Amos Pieper (DCl), Christian Günter (DL); Jhon Solis (MCr), Maximilian Eggestein (MCl); Akinkunmi Amoo (AMR), Erik Majetschak (AMC), Liam Millar (AML), Ermedin Demirovic (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Thierno Baldé (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Daniel Svensson (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Florent Da Silva (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Nahuel Bustos (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

Look who's playing behind the striker in Freiburg's lineup! Majetschak has had a rough landing so far, looking even more mediocre with them than he did for us. Gechter also starts in defense, turning this match into an alumni reunion of sorts. As for ourselves, we retain roughly the same eleven with the addition of Stjepanovic in Lomónaco's place and Bustos on our left wing. Somewhat surprisingly we start well, holding the ball and pushing Freiburg back little by little until Rijkhoff has our first chance of the game, a wide header after a cross by Sapmaz. Another pass from the right, this one coming from Baldé, sets the striker up for a run against Dahlberg, but Rijkhoff gets impatient and shoots too early and too high.

It's looking good for us, but Freiburg strike lucky in their first approach: long passing play that goes through every outfield player until it reaches Günter, and the left back crosses low towards the near post so Amoo can rifle it in. We answer quickly through Miranda, who tries to find the top corner of the goal from 20 yards away but only manages to find Dahlberg's glove. On the opposite end of the pitch Majetschak finishes another passing play with a low finish that Kretzschmar has no trouble holding, then we enter a brief respite of midfield play, only broken by Demirovic with a very wide shot from distance.

It's been a while since we last tried our luck, and Bustos finally shows our attacking intentions by cutting into the box from the left and shooting with danger, but into Pieper's legs. There's very little action from then on, though, and we end a very even first half with a pretty bad result.

HALF TIME - 1-0

We know we need a goal and fast, and we go looking for it from the start of the second half. Rijkhoff has our first chance, shooting into Dahlberg's save after a quick one-two with Da Silva, but after that we go silent upfront. Sapmaz is soon replaced by Marcos Paulo, switching sides with Bustos, and afterwards Manu Sánchez and Karlsen enter the fray, too. Another chance falls to Bustos after a great ball from Miranda, but he blasts it over the bar. Twenty minutes have passed by now, and we're still where we started.

Twenty more pass without any chances on either goal, so we decide to throw caution to the wind and go all-out attack. The results are immediate, although probably unrelated: a set piece crossed into the box by Miranda reaches Marcos Paulo, who shoots into a defender's legs in such a way that the ball bubbles all the way to Karlsen. The youngster collects, shoots, and scores the 1-1 while the defense just watch incredulously. We even have a fantastic chance in injury time to steal the win through Marcos Paulo, who receives from Sánchez unmarked inside the box but manages to send the ball into the second stand instead of into the net. A shame, but at least we got a point.

* * *

Sport-Club Freiburg 1 (Akinkinmi Amoo 18)
TSV 1860 München 1 (Martin Karlsen 88)

- - -

I'll take it. Don't think Freiburg can complain too much about our luck either, they absolutely threw away the second half with zero attacking intention, played for the 1-0 which they got in their one and only real chance, and got karma'd in the end by young Karlsen, performing his first heroics for us. Stinker for our two supposedly star forwards, who kept missing chances over and over, and Marcos Paulo got another waste of a game saved by a lucky assist. Oh well, things to improve. Important win for Leipzig against Bayern today, too, which once again propels them to the top and drops our neighbors to the third place, a good seven points ahead of us.

[Dalbeider]

Feb 18th 2027

Leverkusen sacked Jess Thorup a couple of weeks ago, and they've just hired Diego Simeone as their new manager. Welp, they're scary now.

Feb 20th 2027

TSV 1860 München (4th) vs. VfB Stuttgart (8th) (Bundesliga, 24/34)

The streak of key matches continues with Stuttgart coming to Grünwalder Strasse, and not as tourists. Despite their home loss to Dortmund last week they're still deep in the fight for Europe, only four points behind us, and just like Freiburg last time, more than willing to slow us down while speeding themselves up. A must-win game.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Thierno Baldé (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Urko (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Florent Da Silva (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)
STUTTGART (4-2-3-1): Bartlomiej Dragowski (GK); Chris Richards (DR), Elias Machuca (DCr), Waldemar Anton (DCl), Hrvoje Smolcic (DL); Filip Ronningen Jorgensen (MCr), Orel Mangala (MCl); M'Bala Nzola (AMR), Ismaël Gharbi (AMC), Konrad de la Fuente (AML); Borja Mayoral (ST)

* * *

Maldini is back in action today, as are some of our rotation players like Urko and Hadzic. Stuttgart look good in the first minutes, with Mayoral assisting Konrad for a dangerous finish that Kretzschmar manages to deflect wide. We don't stay idle either, immediately hitting back through the center so Miranda can shoot and be denied by Dragowski. Things calm down for a while after those early scrambles, although Mayoral gives us another scare after a great ball from Konrad that Kretzschmar once again has to fix with a nice save.

Both teams trade minor blows for a short while before the game enters another lull, this one longer than the previous one. A high ball from distance by Nzola in the 35th finally breaks the boredom, but our attack has to wait until injury time to appear in the highlight reel again, courtesy of a cross from deep by Baldé that Bustos half-volleys over the bar. With that, a pretty uneventful first half ends as it started.

HALF TIME - 0-0

Not much changes after the break, although we do look a bit sharper in attack, still without any clear chances to add to our count until the 53rd, when Maldini launches a quick counter with a long pass towards Bustos, who is once again denied by Dragowski and not particularly good finishing. Ulrich replaces Da Silva after a while, together with Rijkhoff in Marcos Paulo's place after another disappointing performance by the Portuguese. Next up is Sapmaz, giving Maldini some rest after his return to action. Not a single shot on either goal otherwise.

In the 72nd we finally find a way through with a quick passing play through the center that Miranda ends with an assist towards Sapmaz, who tries to place his finish but misses the far post by inches. The winger then runs down the right and passes back towards Miranda, returning the favor, and with the same end result: goal kick after a bad finish sends the ball over. Our best chance comes in the 78th, though, when Hadzic heads a corner kick into the crossbar and the ball bounces down mere inches from the goal line, with no one managing to push it over.

We're pouring forward looking for the winner now, and that leaves us vulnerable at the back. Thankfully Kretzschmar is there to prevent Djénépo from scoring after a great run and pass by Mayoral, because that would've been very unfair. After that both teams fail to create any further danger, though, and the game peters out into a goalless draw that helps neither team.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 0
VfB Stuttgart 0

- - -

Tough luck. We did good in the second half, at least in the final twenty minutes or so, and probably deserved a goal just a bit more than Stuttgart, but our finishing once again failed us. We've been struggling to score for a while now, Bustos and Rijkhoff keep missing chances and the midfielders and wingers aren't filling in the gaps anymore. Oh well, it's not a defeat, and the point is enough for us to keep our place in the table, for now.

[Dalbeider]

Feb 24th 2027

Team of the Week slots for Stjepanovic and Kretzschmar.

Feb 27th 2027

On the topic of Kretzschmar, guess who pulled his groin in training today? Quintero will have to play against Köln, it seems...

Feb 28th 2027

The transfer window is still open in Poland, and Lech use it to sign one of our fringe youngsters, 18yo winger Milosz Smolinski, for €100k upfront, €75k in installments, €50k after 10 league apperances, and a 40% of future profits. Small return for a player with no future at our club, and with the potential for greater gains in the future if he explodes back in his home country.

Mar 1st 2027

1.FC Köln (11th) vs. TSV 1860 München (4th) (Bundesliga, 25/34)

Well, this was supposed to be the third consecutive direct duel for the European places, but instead we find Köln in the bottom half of the table and with André Pawlak as caretaker manager after Steffan Baumgart saw his six-year-long reign end in a sack. They've lost their last three league games, somehow knocking Napoli out of the Europa League in between. Sounds like a perfect chance to take the three points today.

* * *

KÖLN (4-1-4-1): Kevin Trapp (GK); Nathan Phillips (DR), Hugo Faria (DCr), Dejan Ljubicic (DCl), Stephan Ambrosius (DL); Anton Stach (DM); Jan Thielmann (MR), Dominik Yankov (MCr), Antonio Entrena (MCl), Julian Draxler (ML); Janni Serra (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Daniel Svensson (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Laurin Ulrich (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

We hadn't come across a flat 4-1-4-1 since the last time we played Darmstadt in the 2.Liga, huh. Somewhat surprisingly Kretzschmar manages to overcome the worst of his injury and is available for selection today without issues. We rotate the squad around a bit otherwise, since our next game comes in only five days and we'll need fresh legs then, while Entrena starts in midfield for Köln, something I'm glad to see. I also like to see Köln playing relatively deep, something that always helps us with our game plan.

We use our possession to create danger from the start, beginning with Marcos Paulo assisting Rijkhoff so the striker can do the usual as of late and shoot wide. The striker continues his "amazing" run of finishing with a rugby transformation on the run following a nice nod into space by Ulrich. After those two chances, though, our attack runs dry and minutes pass with neither team threatening the opposing goal. Serra brings some excitement into the game profiting from a bad pass by Stjepanovic, but as his fellow striker on the other end, he can't find the target either and sends the ball wide.

Not much afterwards, only a couple of long-range attempts by Köln that Kretzschmar deals with, and a couple similar tries by our attackers that don't even go past the defender's legs. Rijkhoff gets another good chance in the 43rd blocked by Stach after a good steal by Sapmaz, then Lang gets closer with a header in the resulting corner kick that licks the upside of the crossbar before going over. A shot from distance by Svensson two minutes later, easy for Trapp, signals the end of the hostilities for the first forty-five minutes.

HALF TIME - 0-0

We try giving Vuskovic a more attacking role after the break, since he doesn't have to keep track of any attacking midfielders today. We remain in control and looking forward, but still with very little precision when it comes to the last steps of the buildup. Maldini comes in to try and help with that, as does Da Silva. What happens, though, is that Yankov sends a diagonal pass over the defense, Lang fails to intercept it, and Draxler collects it and calmly beats Kretzschmar to score the 1-0 against the flow of the game.

Thankfully their lead lasts only a couple of minutes, which is what Svensson needs to run the left flank, send a cross towards the far post, and find Maldini ready to give the ball the push it needs to hit the back of the net. Still almost thirty minutes left to look for the winner, although we also have to work hard in defense to prevent a goal from Serra in the 65th, well blocked by Vuskovic in the end.

Bustos replaces a solid but tired Marcos Paulo with twenty left on the clock, but ten minutes later it's Köln who strike again: Yankov curls a cross from the right side and Serra towers above his marker to head it into the underside of the bar and in. 2-1, and once again we need a quick response. We don't have it, and it takes us until the 90th to generate a good chance for Rijkhoff, who instead of shooting tries to dribble his way into a better position and ends up running out of space and angle to finish the job. We don't get another.

* * *

1.FC Köln 2 (Julian Draxler 60, Janni Serra 80)
TSV 1860 München 1 (Daniel Maldini 63)

- - -

You know, I'm actually glad I didn't purchase Rijkhoff last year. If I'd spent all that money on him only for him to flounder like he's been doing for the last couple of months I'd be very angry, and now I'm just sad because he's losing his chance to stay here in the long term with his absolute lack of finishing. With a half-working forward we would've won this at a canter, but we gave away two chances in two individual mistakes by Lang and Kretzschmar (he really should've saved that header) and we lost a game we should've won. We're still fourth, but now the fight for Europe tightens immensely, with only two points separating fourth and ninth place.

[Dalbeider]

Mar 6th 2027

TSV 1860 München (4th) vs. 1.FC Union Berlin (18th) (Bundesliga, 26/34)

No excuses today, if we don't win against last-place Union Berlin then we don't deserve to be in this division, let alone in Europe. Even Hoffenheim, woeful as they've been, are ahead of them on the table now after picking a couple of wins, but Cambiasso's Union keep finding new ways to sink further down. Eleven points off twenty-five games should be grounds for automatic relegation, although they're doing their best to get there even without that.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Thierno Baldé (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Urko (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Martin Karlsen (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Nahuel Bustos (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
UNION BERLIN (4-2-3-1): Frederik Ronnow (GK); Lukas Klünter (DR), Jesper Daland (DCr), Dominique Heintz (DCl), Jarrad Branthwaite (DL); Rani Khedira (MCr), Max Meyer (MCl); Abdallah Sima (AMR), Aymen Barkok (AMC), Hannes Lippold (AML), Janis Antiste (ST)

* * *

We won't find a better opportunity to get Bustos and Rijkhoff back into a goalscoring mood, so both start today, together with most of the squad that didn't feature from the start against Köln.  We get off to a relatively slow start, with Union even having more possession than us in the first ten minutes, but the first chance still falls to us, with Bustos cutting in and shooting into Daland's legs, the deflection missing the post by a few inches. Union are playing a very compact shape, with an advanced defense but with their forwards holding back, so moving the ball around in midfield is difficult today. The rain doesn't help either, what's with the weather in this city...

Minutes pass with neither team threatening the opposing goal in any serious matter, at least until Branthwaite breaks the offside trap and enters the box unmarked in the 33rd, thankfully denied by Kretzschmar like almost always. A high header by Heintz in a corner kick follows while we struggle to even get anywhere near Ronnow's goal, and only another corner kick allows Rijkhoff the chance to get a header in that the keeper saves well. Sima sends yet another header over the bar after a nice run-and-cross by Lippold, and it almost looks like they're the best team in the pitch today. No goals at half time.

HALF TIME - 0-0

A few minor tactical tweaks and a lot of screaming later, we look like a completely different team. Only five minutes into the second half Baldé intercepts the ball in midfield and sends it past the defensive line for Rijkhoff to gather, round the keeper, and pass it into the back of the net. Finally. The striker isn't quite there yet, though, as his wide volley to Manu Sánchez's cross three minutes later shows. Bustos, on the other hand, decides to join the party after receiving from Da Silva, turning around, and curling one of those beautiful shots from the edge of the box he does from time to time. 2-0 in eleven minutes, and the match looks solved already.

Of course it won't be that easy, and Lippold reminds us why with a header that Kretzschmar has to stretch to save and hold. On the other end Karlsen penetrates deep into the right flank and passes back towards Maldini, who shoots into Ronnow's arms, then Lippold tries again with a bicycle kick that licks the outside of the post before going wide. After that we decide to be a bit more conservative and replace Karlsen with Vuskovic, pushing Urko into a more advanced role, while Sapmaz takes Maldini's place in the right wing.

That proves to be a good decision when a steal by Urko allows us to mount a good attack that ends with Sapmaz crossing and Bustos heading narrowly over from a tight angle. Ulrich replaces Da Silva as our final substitution as we keep our attack going, our next chance finished by Sánchez with a good-looking shot that Ronnow has to tip wide. The keeper soon has more work, deflecting over the bar another dangerous finish by Rijkhoff generated by Sapmaz with a pass into space. Union's attempts at a comeback lack confidence, and their only credible chance is a header by Barkok that Kretzschmar grabs without much trouble. Ulrich also tries his luck with a shot that Ronnow's fingertips turn into a corner kick in what eventually becomes the last goalscoring opportunity of the game. Clear win, but not as easy as we expected.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 2 (Julian Rijkhoff 50, Nahuel Bustos 56)
1.FC Union Berlin 0

---

Yeah, we got somewhat lucky here. The game overall was quite even, and Union deserved to score at the very least once today, but we made good use of our few actually good minutes to turn them into goals, with Rijkhoff and Bustos achieving their (cough) goal of getting back into the scoreboard and, hopefully, recovering a bit of morale. Baldé is turning up every night after a couple of hesitant performances right after his arrival, which is nice to see, as is Hadzic doing fine once again in defense. Lomónaco was a mess today, though, so not everything is good news.

* * *

| Pos | Team                | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | GD    | Pts   | Form  | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 1st | RB Leipzig          | 26    | 18    | 4     | 4     | 59    | 32    | 27    | 58    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 2nd | Borussia Dortmund   | 26    | 18    | 3     | 5     | 52    | 19    | 33    | 57    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 3rd | FC Bayern           | 26    | 17    | 4     | 5     | 63    | 18    | 45    | 55    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 4th | 1860 München        | 26    | 13    | 7     | 6     | 36    | 25    | 11    | 46    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 5th | Hamburg             | 26    | 14    | 3     | 9     | 35    | 23    | 12    | 45    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 6th | Bayer Leverkusen    | 26    | 13    | 5     | 8     | 40    | 32    | 8     | 44    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 7th | Stuttgart           | 26    | 13    | 4     | 9     | 34    | 36    | -2    | 43    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 8th | Borussia M'gladbach | 26    | 13    | 3     | 10    | 43    | 34    | 9     | 42    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 9th | Freiburg            | 26    | 11    | 8     | 7     | 43    | 37    | 6     | 41    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 10th| Köln                | 26    | 10    | 6     | 10    | 35    | 33    | 2     | 36    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 11th| Frankfurt           | 26    | 9     | 8     | 9     | 34    | 38    | -4    | 35    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 12th| Hertha BSC          | 26    | 6     | 10    | 10    | 19    | 32    | -13   | 28    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 13th| Wolfsburg           | 26    | 7     | 6     | 13    | 22    | 35    | -13   | 27    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 14th| Fortuna Düsseldorf  | 26    | 6     | 5     | 15    | 37    | 60    | -23   | 23    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 15th| Mainz               | 26    | 6     | 4     | 16    | 26    | 47    | -21   | 22    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 16th| Nürnberg            | 26    | 5     | 7     | 14    | 27    | 49    | -22   | 22    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 17th| Hoffenheim          | 26    | 3     | 7     | 16    | 32    | 51    | -19   | 16    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 18th| Union Berlin        | 26    | 1     | 8     | 17    | 21    | 57    | -36   | 11    |       | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 

Looks like this season is heading into another fun ending, at all levels. The title race is still completely open, with Leipzig throwing away chances to run with it (they just lost 2-1 to Mainz) and Dortmund and Bayern trying to get back on top but neither looking consistent enough. Then there's us, leading the six Europe hopefuls with a very minor lead ahead of the also surprising Hamburg, who seem set on following in our footsteps all the way from the 2.Bundesliga into the Champions League. The worst two (or three, depending on how the cup goes) will be left without any kind of reward.

Köln and Eintracht are probably the only teams with nothing realistic to play for, while the five teams behind them should be very worried about avoiding the playoff position. At the bottom Union look hopeless, they need as many points in eight games as they've scored in twenty-six just to have a minor chance of survival, but Hoffenheim seem to have found a way to actually win matchs and still could manage to hold on. The Bundesliga never fails to be entertaining until the very last second, really.

* * *

PLAYER STATS
============

Average rating (min. 9 games played):

Niklas Lang              7.26 (17(1) apps)
Mateja Stjepanovic       7.19 (21(2) apps)
Tom Kretzschmar          7.16 (26 apps)
Amer Hadzic              7.11 (13 apps)
Urko                     7.09 (8(2) apps)

Special mention for Thierno Baldé, with a 7.23 average after 6(1) appearances.

Goals:

Julian Rijkhoff          10 goals
Nahuel Bustos            6
Can Sapmaz               5
Matías Miranda           4
Daniel Maldini           3

Assists: 

Marcos Paulo             6 assists
Can Sapmaz               5
Matías Miranda           3
Manu Sánchez             3
Francisco Gerometta      3

 

[Dalbeider]

Mar 9th 2027

Kretzschmar and Hadzic make the Team of the Week.

Mar 12th 2027

Bad timing: Rijkhoff catches a serious virus and is likely to be out of our next two fixtures. Lomónaco also goes down in training with a twisted knee that will keep him out of our next game and make him a serious doubt for the next.

Mar 13th 2027

VfL Wolfsburg (13th) vs. TSV 1860 München (4th) (Bundesliga, 27/34)

Time for the decisive part of the season. In these last eight fixtures we have two extremely likely losses (Dortmund and Bayern), three direct duels against European candidates (Gladbach, HSV, Leverkusen), and three games against bottom half teams (Wolfsburg, Eintracht, Hoffenheim). We can't afford to drop any points in the last three if we want to have a chance, so hey, no pressure.  Wolfsburg also come from an unbeaten February, but that comes after only one win between November and January. They did lose to Dortmund last week, though, so that's something.

* * *

WOLFSBURG (4-3-3): Nico Mantl (GK); Pascal Stenzl (DR), Ozan Tabak (DCr), Moritz Jenz (DCl), Guilherme Montóia (DL); Diego Demme (DM), Dani Ceballos (MCr), Maximilian Arnold (MCl); Luka Ivanusec (AMR), Jovane Cabral (AML), Randal Kolo Muani (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Thierno Baldé (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Daniel Svensson (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Matías Miranda (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)

* * *

No punches pulled in our lineup today, we need to be at our best to get something out of here, even more without Rijkhoff available. And the players respond to that idea admirably: five minutes in a long play down the right flank ends with Maldini receiving the ball inside the box and passing it back towards the center, where Miranda gathers it and blasts it with power to inaugurate the scoreboard. The midfielder wants more, and four minutes later sends a long-range attempt slightly wide to the left. Wolfsburg look overwhelmed at first, but soon react and in the 16th Arnold whips in a cross towards Ivanusec, who hits it first time unmarked but only manages to hit the outside of the post before the ball goes wide.

Possession rates favor Wolfsburg after twenty minutes, but we still look dangerous when we do have the ball, as Maldini demonstrates with a shot from the edge of the box that Mantl dives to save. Things slow down after that for a while, until Maldini wakes everyone up once again in the 34th after Stjepanovic nods the ball towards him near the penalty spot, his shot parried by the keeper. Ivanusec keeps monopolizing Wolfsburg's danger with a good run through the center and a wide shot in the 40th, which Marcos Paulo answers four minutes later with a similar play and an equally inaccurate finish. Shortly afterwards it's shower time for the players.

HALF TIME - 0-1

Once again we come out of the dressing rooms looking hungry, and not even two minutes into the second half Svensson is already sending a dangerous cross towards Maldini, who heads it over from a difficult position. We keep pushing Wolfsburg back despite not having too much possession, forcing them to keep passing it among themselves in non-dangerous positions. 't Zand replaces the ever disappointing Marcos Paulo after fifteen minutes, then Urko does the same with Da Silva. The Dutch winger goes on to send a fantastic long pass towards Maldini on the opposite side of the pitch, allowing the Italian a clean run to Mantl who nonetheless manages to prevent the 0-2 with a great intervention.

Sapmaz replaces Maldini with twenty minutes left to play, and eight minutes later 't Zand has a fantastic chance to score the 0-2 when he controls a nod by Bustos inside the small box, but his finish is blocked by Jenz and then caught by Mantl before anyone can pounce on the rebound. He then goes on to repeat the same play he tried earlier with Maldini, only with Sapmaz as his target, but with the exact same result: great save by Mantl. Wolfsburg can't even give us a serious scare in the whole second half, and we score a richly deserved win in the end.

* * *

VfL Wolfsburg 0
TSV 1860 München 1 (Matías Miranda 5)

- - -

That'll do. A match full of suspiciously poor performances by some players, a completely useless Bustos in particular, but in which we dominated without having the ball, denied Wolfsburg any serious chances for most of the game, and made our one goal count. This win means we're officially safe from relegation, not that there ever was any doubt about that, and that the board now consider the goal of becoming an established Bundesliga team accomplished one year ahead of schedule. Nice.

Gladbach drop points in a 1-1 home draw against Dortmund, as do Stuttgart after a predictable loss to Bayern. HSV win in Berlin against Union, Leverkusen beat Freiburg in their own stadium, and Leipzig regain a three-point lead at the top with their win in Hoffenheim (okay, technically in Steinsfurt, but you know what I mean).

[Dalbeider]

Mar 17th 2027

Been a while since the last international window. This time it's Stjepanovic and Svensson with the senior squads of Serbia and Sweden respectively, while Vuskovic remains demoted to the Croatian U21s and Sapmaz gets another chance to shine with Turkey U21.

Mar 20th 2027

TSV 1860 München (4th) vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach (7th) (Bundesliga, 28/34)

One down, seven to go, and we continue with one of the direct duels against a Gladbach side that come into this match after four games without a win, including a shock home defeat against Hoffenheim, but also after stealing one point from Dortmund. Their form has been sketchy all year long, but they remain a quality side that can give us worlds of trouble.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Thierno Baldé (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Matías Miranda (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Nahuel Bustos (ST)
GLADBACH (4-2-3-1): David Raya (GK); Bali Mumba (DR), Igor Diveev (DCr), Lukas Mai (DCl), Luca Netz (DL); Breel Embolo (MCr), Lazar Samardzic (MCl); Raúl Moro (AMR), Nedim Bajrami (AMC), Yeferson Soteldo (AML), Suphanat Mueanta (ST)

* * *

Rijkhoff makes the bench today after recovering from that pesky virus, but we rely on the core that managed our first away win in forever just last week to deliver today, and once again they respond in kind with a first minute chance courtesy of a steal by Da Silva and a finish by Bustos that only Raya's great work in goal prevents from becoming a very quick 1-0. Even the corner kick that follows almost goes in after Manu Sánchez shoots into the crowd inside the box and the mad bounces bring the ball everywhere but inside the net. We keep pushing, and soon Marcos Paulo blasts it over following a nice assist by Da Silva, who's looking really good today.

We keep the momentum going with a long distance shot by Da Silva that Raya holds without too much trouble, but after a bit things finally start slowing down as Gladbach manage to get out of their own half from time to time. Once again we're losing possession but still looking dominant, and we return to action with a shot by Marcos Paulo in the 25th that Mai deflects wide for a corner kick. Seven minutes later Gladbach finally show up near our box with a high try from the edge of the box by Moro, and we answer with another high ball of our own, once again courtesy of Marcos Paulo. One of these days he'll manage a shot on target... Maldini joins the trend with another finish over the bar in the last minute of an entertaining but goalless first half.

HALF TIME - 0-0

We go right back at it after the rest, and in our first try we strike gold: Marcos Paulo penetrates through the left flank, then turns around and passes it back towards Miranda, who just touches it slightly so Manu Sánchez can shoot from the edge of the box and surprise Raya, scoring the 1-0 through the keeper's near post and his first goal for 1860. Gladbach take offense to that and try to rectify it instantly, but Kretzschmar flies and punches away a dangerous attempt from outside the box by Samardzic.

Things become quite even afterwards, until a knock on Miranda forces us to replace him, bringing Urko into the game. Another shot by Marcos Paulo that for once was going in the right direction is cleared out by Mai, but other than his finishing he's doing a good job today. Instead it's Maldini who leaves his place to Sapmaz, while a solid Bustos is replaced by Rijkhoff. The game loses all momentum then, with neither team managing to break through in any significant way until the 78th minute, when Rijkhoff tries a placed shot from the edge of the box that Raya barely manages to swat away. 

Our next chance is a counterattack that also falls to Rijkhoff, and his finish is as bad as we've seen from him this season, which is saying something. Bajrami then gives us an unexpected scare in a corner kick, rifling in a deflected ball from just inside the box into one of Kretzschmar's trademark saves. That's their last approach of the game, and we coast through what little remains to score a vital win.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 1 (Manu Sánchez 50)
Borussia Mönchengladbach 0

- - -

Grinding those points out. To be fair, short result or not, today we were clearly the superior team even if possession was split at best. We had many chances we once again failed to put in, but at least the all-important first goal came and the defense did the rest, in another show of strength that's become the norm this season.

This result is great because it almost takes Gladbach out of the run for the Champions League, which is the position we're defending. They're now nine points behind us, and Freiburg have it even worse after a 2-2 draw against Hertha, dropping ten points behind. Stuttgart also lose to Leverkusen in today's other direct duel while Hamburg still keep the pace. This means the seventh place is still Gladbach's, so we have a comfortable cushion within the European places, even if the Champions League is very much still up in the air and will heavily depend on our result against HSV in a couple of weeks. That's good to see just before travelling to Dortmund.

[Dalbeider]

Mar 23rd 2027

Manu Sánchez earns a place in the Team of the Week just before the international break.

Meanwhile, Quintero suffers from a pulled calf muscle in training that'll keep him out of the squad for the next two or three weeks. Not particularly hurtful for our starting eleven, but Kretzschmar better not catch a cold any time soon...

Mar 27th 2027

Two goals in two games with the Netherlands U21 for Rijkhoff, while Svensson plays the whole game with Sweden only to see Spain put six past them. Ow. Two good performances for Vuskovic, too, and Sapmaz had some minutes off the bench. Stjepanovic was replaced in a 1-1 draw against Bosnia, who by the way completely forgot about Hadzic this time.

Mar 31st 2027

Better for Stjepanovic in his second appearance for Serbia, completing a solid performance in a 4-0 win over Armenia.

The winners list for this year's NxGn award is announced today, and wow, the top three all play in the Mexican league, with the top two being homegrown in the nation and the third being Paraguayan. None of our players make the list, but it does bring a lot of work for our scouts, with some of these kids looking both first-team worthy and within our striking range.

Apr 3rd 2027

Borussia Dortmund (3rd) vs. TSV 1860 München (4th) (Bundesliga, 29/34)

Six to go, and now for the first doozy of the bunch with a trip to Dortmund. Klopp's boys have been a bit inconsistent as of late, dropping points against Gladbach and barely managing to get past Hoffenheim, but they're still the champions, and even after losing Moukoko to Bayern they're still one of the scariest teams going forward in the league. We won at home, yes, but I don't expect lightning to strike twice on the same spot. Any points we get today will be a huge bonus in our race for Europe.

* * *

DORTMUND (4-3-3): Gregor Kobel (GK); Mohamed Simakan (DR), Niklas Süle (DCr), Arthur Theate (DCl), Tyrell Malacia (DL); Angelo Steeler (DM), Joey Veerman (MCr), Kacper Kozlowski (MCl); Samuel Chukwueze (AMR), Adam Hlozek (AML), Luka Jovic (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Thierno Baldé (DR), Amer Hadzic (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Daniel Svensson (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Urko (MCl); Can Sapmaz (AMR), Nahuel Bustos (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

Quintero makes the bench in the end today, although he's still reeling a bit from his injury so he'd better not be needed. Otherwise we go with a somewhat more defensive midfield with Urko replacing Da Silva as our biggest change from the usual. Chukwueze replaces Moukoko in Dortmund's attack, which allows Jovic to return to the position where he's most dangerous, but it's surprising not to see Reyna anywhere in their lineup.

The first ten minutes go by with no action on either goal, which suits us just fine. Hlozek has the first for Dortmund after a good combination through the left with Kozlowski, but Kretzschmar is well positioned to parry his shot and then clear the loose ball before it gets dangerous. The keeper soon has more work to do after Jovic steals the ball from Hadzic and tries luck from the edge of the box, and then he has to hold a not too powerful attempt from distance by Simakan, but we aren't feeling too overwhelmed just yet.

That changes in the 20th minute, when Stiller gathers a cleared ball and sends it right back into the box for Hlozek who, barely onside, unleashes a beautiful volley that leaves Kretzschmar watching as the ball hits the back of the net. We try to hit back quickly through Sapmaz, who runs on the break through the center but is closed down quickly and has to shoot too early, well over the bar. Hlozek almost adds a comical goal to his count when a clearance by Kretzschmar hits him on the back and the ball bounces towards our goal, but the keeper reacts quickly and swats it away just as it was about to cross over the goal line.

Hlozek keeps finding Baldé's back with worrying ease, almost always running after diagonal passes from the right as he does in the 27th before hitting the sidenetting with his finish. We manage to plug the hole afterwards, though, and after a few minutes with little action we almost get an unlikely draw in a corner kick that Rijkhoff heads into the crossbar. Not much else happens afterwards, and the result remains within reach at halftime.

HALF TIME - 1-0

Things remain calm in the second half until the 55th minute, when a corner kick taken into our box is stopped short when Hadzic pushes Stiller and VAR catches him in the act. Veerman doesn't miss from the spot, and now things look much harder for us. We're forced to make offensive substitutions now, bringing Da Silva and Marcos Paulo into the game and moving Urko to defense, since Stjepanovic is tired after his midweek fixture with Serbia and needs a rest. This seems to have an immediate effect, with Marcos Paulo providing an early chance for Miranda that the midfielder sends straight into Kobel's hands.

Our reaction is soon cut short, however, when Hlozek once again breaks free from Baldé and gathers a diagonal assist by Chukwueze, then faces Kretzschmar and bends his finish around him and into the back of the net to score the 3-0. Game over with thirty minutes still left to play, and now all we have to play for is our honor. We take the chance to give Karlsen some minutes in a high-stakes match in Miranda's place, and then in the 70th minute there's the biggest shock of the game so far: Svensson assists Marcos Paulo along the right wing, the inside forward cuts in, enters the box, and places his shot into the far post and in, scoring the 3-1 and, finally, his first goal for 1860. Miracles happen sometimes.

Dortmund don't take too kindly to our desperate resistance, though, and three minutes later Stiller runs into the box unopposed, shoots into the gap between Kretzschmar and the near post, and makes it 4-1 just in case we were hoping about an impossible comeback. With order finally restored, both teams agree to an armistice until injury time, when Samuel Lino heads over the bar a clear-cut chance to make it five after a cross by Simakan. Not much else happens, and Dortmund score an easy win to keep them in the title run, while we get more or less what we expected to get today.

* * *

Borussia Dortmund 4 (Adam Hlozek 20 60, Joey Veerman 55p, Angelo Stiller 73)
TSV 1860 München 1 (Marcos Paulo 70)

- - -

Believe it or not, we've witnessed two miracles against Dortmund this season. Too bad this time it was "just" Marcos Paulo scoring, heh. No contest today, really, Dortmund were better, although not that much better, particularly in the first half in which we held our own acceptably well. The penalty just made us crumble, and from then on it was all Dortmund, miracles aside.

Remarkably, though, this result doesn't hurt our European chances in any way, because literally everyone involved in the fight lost today. Well, not Gladbach, because they beat Hamburg, but still. Freiburg somehow lost at home to Mainz, Stuttgart did the same to Hertha, and even Leverkusen were defeated in their trip to Köln. So the only thing that changes is that Gladbach are now 6 points behind instead of nine, but that's it. Oh, and Leipzig drop points in an away draw to Nürnberg, so the title race is once again as tight as can be.

[Dalbeider]

Apr 6th 2027

New youth players come into the U18 squad, and it's probably the worst intake we've had so far. No one stands out in an ocean of mediocrity. We'll probably keep a few because the squad does need the numbers, but I don't expect any of them to make it to any Bundesliga team, let alone ours.

Apr 10th 2027

TSV 1860 München (4th) vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (17th) (Bundesliga, 30/34)

Five to go, and probably the last "easy" game we'll have this season, considering what's coming next. And even Hoffenheim can't be called easy anymore, since they've managed four wins since the turn of the year and actually claimed a few famous scalps along the way. Problem is, they're still seven points away from salvation, and even the playoff position looks out of reach. Regardless of their improved form, this is a game we should be winning.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Francisco Gerometta (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Mateja Stjepanovic (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Urko (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Florent Da Silva (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
HOFFENHEIM (4-3-2-1): Vladan Kovacevic (GK); Brandon Soppy (DR), Stefan Posch (DCr), Marco Friedl (DCl), Gianluca Frabotta (DL); Yacine Adli (MCr), Nadiem Amiri (MC), Elvis Rexhbecaj (MCl); Roland Sallai (AMCr), Kevin Volland (AMCl); Andi Zeqiri (ST)

* * *

Hoffenheim's 4-3-2-1 makes its triumphant (not really) return today, while we're missing Vuskovic due to suspension after he picked his ninth yellow against Dortmund, so Urko returns to the anchor and Da Silva to the advanced midfield. We start dominating possession clearly and focusing on their weak wings, and soon Lang sends narrowly over the bar a powerful header in a corner kick as our first warning shot. Hoffenheim play the long game, hiding in their own half and clearly hoping to steal a goal on some counter or another. As a result, the game plods along with little danger on either goal.

In the 23rd minute Maldini gets a clear shot at goal from outside the box, but Kovacevic covers the space well and holds the ball with ease. Nine minutes later Hoffenheim get their counterattack, finished by Rexhbecaj from distance so Kretzschmar dives and deflects the ball to a corner kick, which Rexhbecaj himself heads narrowly wide. Another header by Sallai goes straight into the keeper's hands, which we answer through Marcos Paulo's long pass across the pitch towards Miranda, who hits it low first time into Kovacevic's comfortable save. 

Our best chance comes next, a low cross by Maldini towards Marcos Paulo across the heart of the box which would've been an easy tap-in for the inside forward if it weren't for Soppy's timely tackle. Sadly, that's also our last chance of the half, meaning we're still tied when the referee whistles for half time.

HALF TIME - 0-0

We take a bit to get going in the second half, only managing a 25-yarder by Rijkhoff that Kovacevic has to work hard to turn over the bar in the 54th minute. One minute later, with Hoffenheim's defense trying to reorganize after clearing a set piece, Manu Sánchez decides he won't give them the time and crosses it into the box for Maldini who, unmarked, scores the 1-0 with a placed finish. Baldé replaces a very weak Gerometta soon after, and we go on to dominate the following minutes with ease until Da Silva sees space in front of Rijkhoff and sends the ball through, allowing the striker to score the 2-0 with a quality touch. Problems solved.

Hoffenheim try to react and Waldschmidt has a very decent chance after dribbling his way into the box from the right, but his finish is terrible and sails away into the stands behind Kretzschmar's goal. Karlsen gets more minutes in midfield, as does Bustos in Marcos Paulo's place, and soon we launch another attack through the left for Manu Sánchez to cross and Rijkhoff to head, leading to another good save by Kovacevic. 

Afterwards we play a more cautious game, holding the ball and protecting a great result for our goals until Karlsen runs into space after Maldini's pass and has a double chance to beat Kovacevic and score the third, but the keeper responds admirably to both and the ball is cleared to safety in the end. The young Norwegian turns provider then, sending a good ball ahead of Da Silva, but once again the keeper is there to save the finish. One minute before fulltime their luck runs out when a seemingly harmless cross by Bustos flies over Friedl's head and into Maldini's feet, allowing the winger a very easy tap-in for the 3-0, which rounds up a comfortable victory for us.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 3 (Daniel Maldini 55 89, Julian Rijkhoff 64)
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 0

- - -

Just what the doctor ordered. Very one-sided game, other than a couple of isolated chances in the first half Hoffenheim offered very little in attack and weren't solid enough in defense to hold on until the end. It took a bit of patience and luck, but Maldini's brace was more than enough to see us through. Great team performance overall, and hopefully will be enough to keep our spirits high through what comes next.

Most teams involved in the important battles at the top win today, with the exception of Stuttgart, who can only draw in Köln, Freiburg, who lose away to leaders Leipzig, and Dortmund, who practically drop out of the title race with a defeat in Hamburg. Köln are now eighth, ten points behind us with only twelve to play, meaning we only need a win next week against HSV and Bayern to win the cup to guarantee European football next season. In less happy news, Union Berlin confirm their mathematical relegation to the 2.Bundesliga. Hoffenheim will probably follow suit soon.

[Dalbeider]

Apr 12th 2027

Oof, this one hurts, and not just me: Stjepanovic damages his cruciate ligaments in training and will be recovering for the next seven to nine months. Losing one of our key players at this stage of the season is painful, but knowing that we probably won't have him around and fit until 2028 is even worse. With Lomónaco as his natural replacement, we'll probably be forced to spend big this summer to find him a more reliable and high-quality backup. Silver lining is that at least there won't be anyone interested in signing him this coming transfer window, I guess...

Apr 13th 2027

Lang, Manu Sánchez, and Maldini all find their way into the Team of the Week.

Apr 15th 2027

More injuries, although this one isn't as serious, thankfully: Svensson will miss two to three weeks with a pulled hamstring. Given Manu Sánchez's recent form, this might not be too bad a thing.

Apr 17th 2027

TSV 1860 München (4th) vs. Hamburger SV (5th) (Bundesliga, 31/34)

Absolute banger of a game, this one. As the other surprise package of the Bundesliga season, HSV have been keeping pace with us throughout the year and pushing us to the limit in order to keep our fourth place. Their win against Dortmund last week proves they're the real deal, and a win against them would go a long way towards securing our place in Europe next season.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Thierno Baldé (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Florent Da Silva (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Marcos Paulo (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
HSV (4-2-3-1): Yoshiaki Ichikawa (GK); Lukas Klostermann (DR), Joel Agyekum (DCr), Ron Schallenberg (DCl), Andrii Buleza (DL); Bledian Krasniqi (MCr), Ludovit Reis (MCl); Farine Alidou (AMR), Ömer Beyaz (AMC), Xavier Amaechi (AML); Kevin Schade (ST)

* * *

Lomónaco starts in Stjepanovic's place, as he will most likely do for what remains of this season. Hamburg start the game pressing high and making trouble for us, but we still manage to create danger in a set piece that Lang heads towards goal but Ichikawa parries spectacularly. HSV's high press bears fruit in the 11th minute when Beyaz steals the ball from Vuskovic, but thankfully he rushes his finish too much and misses the target clearly. Then, in the 22nd minute, a cross from the left by Buleza reaches Alidou, who nods it forward so Schade can outrun and outjump Lang and easily head it into the net. Not the best of starts for sure.

It's time to react, and Da Silva provides Rijkhoff with the perfect chance for that with a beautiful through ball, but the striker tries to dribble his way through Ichikawa and finds himself losing the ball to the keeper. Not much later Schade returns the favor to Amaechi and sets him up for an easy finish that Kretzschmar touches barely enough to send it wide for a corner kick, which Alidou then heads into the sidenetting. Rijkhoff tries again from the edge of the box in the 35th, but once again finds the flying Japanese keeper tipping his shot wide. 

Hamburg answer with another corner kick, this one headed into the upside of the crossbar by Schallenberg. Then, in the 41st, a quick passing play ends with Miranda assisting Maldini and the Italian scoring with his trademark placed finish towards the far post, but VAR disallows the goal due to a very marginal offside position by the winger. One last high header by Alidou in injury time leads into half time, with many things to fix.

HALF TIME - 0-1

Things look grim in the second half after fifteen minutes in which we fail to produce any worthy attacks, but then Da Silva whips in a surprise cross towards the far post and Maldini jumps high to head it into the back of the net, and we're back in the fight. Bustos replaces Marcos Paulo to give us more punch upfront, then Urko replaces Miranda to keep our midfield fresh. We get into dangerous positions with frequency, but most of our attacks end up short due to offsides, while HSV keep hitting us with dangerous counters, including one that ends with Alidou heading a cross from the left into Kretzschmar's hands.

Karlsen replaces Vuskovic as our last resort, pushing Urko back into the anchor, but our attacks keep running into walls at the very last moment. Then, eight minutes before the end, substitute Schmitz receives the ball in the corner of our box and curls an absolute beauty into the top left corner to make it 1-2, just as Baldé is coming out of the pitch due to a knock. Bustos should've fixed that two minutes later after a fantastic long ball into space by Urko, but he fails to put the ball past Ichikawa in the one-on-one. In the 88th Karlsen sets the Argentinian up once again, and once again Ichikawa denies him with a great dive down. Injury time comes and Karlsen tries again, this time sending a ball into space for Rijkhoff, but yet again it's Ichikawa who wins the duel, tipping the ball wide. That's our last, and we stumble into a very painful defeat we most certainly didn't deserve.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 1 (Daniel Maldini 61)
Hamburger SV 2 (Kevin Schade 22, Laurent Schmitz 82)

- - -

That one hurt. Not just for how it happened, we absolutely deserved at the very least a draw after a very good first half and only Ichikawa's god-like performance kept us from getting it, but also because it means we lose our place in the Champions League just as the really hard fixtures arrive. Now we're basically forced to get points away to Eintracht and Leverkusen or to steal something from Bayern at home, and neither of those will be easy.

At least Leverkusen fail to win, which means we don't drop any farther than fifth. Even more important is Gladbach's home draw against Bayern, not just for the title chances of our neighbors, but also because the all-important seventh place remains five points behind us, and Gladbach have to travel to Leverkusen next week in a match we'll be following with special interest. Dortmund fail to capitalize on Bayern's mistake and concede a goalless draw against Eintracht, and Leipzig do the same in Stuttgart. Good news, though: Köln's home defeat against Mainz means we can't go any lower than seventh, meaning if Bayern do their job in the cup we're already in Europe. Let's not celebrate just yet, though...

[Dalbeider]

Apr 21st 2027

Lang gets a very deserved new contract with a healthy raise in wages, up to €36k per week. He's been the leader of our defense through the divisions, and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future unless Hadzic explodes into the potential he's supposed to have. Lang's well on his way to become one of the brightest legends in 1860's long history, and he's still only 24!

Gerometta will be out for what remains of the season after sustaining knee tendinitis. Normally he'd miss four to five weeks, but there's only three of them left in the league, so it's curtains for him. Baldé will remain as our only right back for these final fixtures.

Bayern give their fans (and us, somewhat) a very nasty scare in the DFB Pokal semis, needing penalties to get past Hoffenheim. They'll face Wolfsburg in the final after they got rid of Nürnberg with much more ease, 3-1.

While we're here, let's take a look at how this season's final fixtures are shaping up for the teams we're fighting against.

Hamburg      (57): Hoffenheim (H), Eintracht (H), Bayern (A)
1860 München (55): Eintracht (A), Bayern (H), Leverkusen (A)
Leverkusen   (54): Gladbach (H), Dortmund (A), 1860 München (H)
Gladbach     (50): Leverkusen (A), Hertha (H), Mainz (A)

Of the four Gladbach have by far the easiest fixtures, but also the most ground to recover. They'll need to steal a win from Leverkusen next week if they're to progress any further, otherwise I think they're stuck in seventh place because either Leverkusen or us will get at least some points in what remains, given we play each other. We're the other team who plays away twice, which hurts, but Eintracht are relatively winnable and if we get that one then we know we're sixth at the very least. HSV are just behind us in the schedule so they get an easy win from Hoffenheim, a somewhat tricky game against Eintracht, and a nightmare trip to the Allianz to close it up, possibly with Bayern playing for the title. And Leverkusen have two direct duels (both at home, lucky bastards) and a trip to Dortmund. Wide open, but my prediction is that HSV and Gladbach won't change positions and we'll play against Leverkusen for the fifth place.

Apr 23rd 2027

No books for me on St. George's day, but I still got a nice gift: Gladbach and Leverkusen draw without goals, probably the best result we could've hoped for. Now Leverkusen have to travel to Dortmund before hosting us in the final fixture, and Gladbach remain four points behind us, meaning a win in two days guarantees the sixth place for us and puts us three points ahead of Leverkusen looking into that final game against them.

Apr 24th 2027

Hamburg do their job and score a 1-0 win against Hoffenheim, which guarantees European football for them next season and makes them almost a shoe-in for the fourth place. Stuttgart and Freiburg win and put some pressure on Gladbach's seventh place, and in today's title decider Bayern win against Dortmund with a single goal by, who else, Moukoko and kicks the current champion out of the Bundesliga race for good, leaving them six points behind with twenty goals less, and with Leipzig still to play.

Apr 25th 2027

Eintracht Frankfurt (11th) vs. TSV 1860 München (5th) (Bundesliga, 32/34)

Eintracht have been languishing in no man's land for almost the whole season, never making a push for the top half but also never in danger of falling into the relegation scuffle. They've only got a single win (and against Union, so it doesn't count) since January, too, so their form isn't exactly ideal, but last week they stole a draw and most of their title chances from Dortmund, so there's that. If we're to get a win in these final fixtures it'll be here, and I'd rather not have to rely on beating Leverkusen on the last game. Or Bayern next week, gods forbid.

* * *

EINTRACHT (4-2-3-1): Timo Horn (GK); Almamy Touré (DR), Marvin Friedrich (DCr), Jackson Porozo (DCl), Matthew Sorinola (DL); Lewis Cook (MCr), Djibril Sow (MCl); Datro Fofana (AMR), André Franco (AMC), Talles Magno (AML); Joe Gelhardt (ST)
1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Thierno Baldé (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Matías Miranda (MCr), Florent Da Silva (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Nahuel Bustos (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)

* * *

Bustos starts on the left as our only change from last week, while we're forced to call up fringe youth prospect Jens Hagemann just to have someone capable of playing full back in the bench. Eintracht also look almost the same as the last time we met them, with the notable presence of loanee Talles Magno on their left wing, a player we've been following for a while. We start the game just like we finished the last one: through ball from Da Silva to Bustos, who tries to score a quick 0-1 but can't get past Horn. Rijkhoff comes next, shooting as he turns after controlling a pass from Miranda and finding Horn's fists in the way. It's still a very nice start, bottling Eintracht inside their own half and constantly threatening danger.

Another shot by Maldini finds its way into Horn's hands in the 16th minute, but by now the home team are starting to stretch themselves out a bit further, and soon Magno forces Kretzschmar into a good dive after gathering a through ball from Franco. Things calm down for a while until Vuskovic sends a great pass into space from deep and enables Maldini for another chance, once again parried by the keeper. Sow answers on the other goal, also gathering a pass from deep and also failing to get past Kretzschmar, who also deflects wide a weak but bouncy finish by Magno in the 32nd. The match looks very much up in the air at this point.

Kretzschmar goes on to save a header by Magno after a cross by Touré, then Lomónaco goes down to block a dangerous looking finish by Franco. Eintracht seem to be taking control in the final stretch, but thankfully we manage to hold on and retreat into the dressing room to regroup and rethink our strategy.

HALF TIME - 0-0

We get off to another good start after halftime, creating an early chance through the left with Bustos assisting and Manu Sánchez shooting into Fofana's legs. The same fate awaits a finish by Miranda in the 53rd, but this time Maldini is there to gather the rebound, look up, and assist Rijkhoff so the striker can score the 0-1, with some help from Sorinola's lack of attention. After the goal we take a step back while Eintracht fail to mount a quick comeback, and minutes pass with the keepers as mere spectators.

Maldini brings a certain degree of danger back into the game with a very badly taken direct free kick, both high and wide off the target. He soon leaves his place to Sapmaz to rest after a good job today, as does Bustos with Marcos Paulo. Both substitutes connect in the 66th with a cross by the Turk and a header by the Portuguese, easy for Horn. However, two minutes later Eintracht finally find a gap and substitute Basic assists Magno on the run, so the winger can beat Kretzschmar to the punch and score the 1-1.

Karlsen's turn comes then, replacing Da Silva, and the game enters a very volatile stage, with neither team capable of creating danger but both looking like they could find a way through at any point. A wide header by Magno in the 81st shows Eintracht still want more, as does Karlsen with a fantastic diagonal pass towards Sapmaz, who still hasn't remembered how to score goals and miskicks his finish straight into Horn's hands. The Norwegian then decides to do it himself, forcing the keeper into a much more difficult save on his near post, but time runs out on us before we can find a way to convert our chances into the lead we deserve. Only a draw, but it might be enough in the end.

* * *

Eintracht Frankfurt 1 (Talles Magno 68)
TSV 1860 München 1 (Julian Rijkhoff 53)

- - -

Again with the finishing, sigh. Oh well, an away draw to Eintracht is never a bad thing, even if we probably deserved the win a bit more than them today. Karlsen is having very good performances in midfield off the bench as of late, looks like we made the right decision holding onto him. Meanwhile there's no trace of Sapmaz's early season magic anymore, the kid's back to his previous season's self for real now and that's not exactly promising for his future. We maintain our five-point lead over Gladbach and keep Leverkusen behind us by one, even though the fourth place would now require a win against Bayern next week... Oh well, an Europa League is fine, too.

Leipzig win easily against Köln and retain the top spot of the table, condeming Dortmund to the third place and setting up a repeat of the head-to-head duel against Bayern from two years ago. Should be fun, particularly considering Bayern have two potentially tricky fixtures against us and Hamburg, while Leipzig have an easy trip to Berlin to play Union, then host Wolfsburg for the closing game.

[Dalbeider]

Apr 27th 2027

Maldini finds himself in the Team of the Week once again. Decent run of form for the winger in the second half of the season.

Apr 29th 2027

Injury for Ulrich, the classic among classics that is pulled ankle ligaments. He's out for the Münchner Derby for sure and in serious doubt for the trip to Leverkusen.

Our other young midfielder, Karlsen, also goes down with food poisoning. With some luck he'll be available against Bayern, otherwise our midfield suddenly looks extremely thin.

May 1st 2027

TSV 1860 München (5th) vs. FC Bayern München (2nd) (Bundesliga, 33/34)

Imagine beating Bayern, killing their title chances, and at the same time keeping our Champions League hopes alive in one swift go. Imagine... Looking back at reality, though, we know our chances are slim, but we'll still give it our best effort. We can afford to go all out today since there's a two-week break before the last fixture, so let's go a give them a scare.

* * *

1860 MÜNCHEN (4-3-3): Tom Kretzschmar (GK); Thierno Baldé (DR), Niklas Lang (DCr), Kevin Lomónaco (DCl), Manu Sánchez (DL); Darko Vuskovic (DM), Florent Da Silva (MCr), Urko (MCl); Daniel Maldini (AMR), Nahuel Bustos (AML), Julian Rijkhoff (ST)
BAYERN (4-2-3-1): Aaron Ramsdale (GK); Joshua Kimmich (DR), Dayot Upamecano (DCr), Janderson (DCl), Alphonso Davies (DL); Sandro Tonali (MCr), Leon Goretzka (MCl); Youssoufa Moukoko (AMR), Kai Havertz (AMC), Serge Gnabry (AML); Robert Lewandowski (ST)

* * *

Karlsen finally makes the bench today together with the recovered Svensson, but our lineup remains unchanged from last week except for Urko replacing Miranda to give our midfield a bit more muscle, and to protect the Argentinian from suspension. Bayern's lineup looks as scary as always, and as expected they don't pull any punches: nine minutes in Davies passes into the box for Gnabry, the winger turns and prolongs the cross past Kretzschmar and the defense, and new guy Moukoko appears to tap it over the line and score the 0-1. Must be nice.

It looks like we want to make things easier for them, too, as Baldé almost scores an own goal with a reckless backwards header that Kretzschmar has to scramble to stop from getting into the net, then Lomónaco and Vuskovic disturb each other when trying to get the ball out and gift it to Lewandowski, who shoots into another emergency save by the keeper. Bayern soon return the favor, though, when Rijkhoff gets in between Janderson and Upamecano and steals the ball, facing Ramsdale one-on-one but failing to turn it into a goal thanks to the keeper's good reaction. Gnabry responds with a direct free kick that goes very narrowly over, then Vuskovic smashes a shot from the edge of the box into Upamecano's back. The game is open and fun, but Bayern still look most likely to score again.

Things become a bit calmer afterwards, though, as Bayern turn their possession into control to avoid our random outbursts of attacking intention. Five minutes before halftime Bustos, who'd been struggling a bit since he twisted his knee in a tackle on the first minute, finally needs to come off and is replaced by Marcos Paulo. Bayern's best chance for a second comes in the 45th, when Gorezka heads a corner kick point-blank but Kretzschmar somehow manages to produce a miraculous hand to block it, then Baldé clears the ball from danger. The first half ends with Bayern dominating clearly, but with a very fixable score.

HALF TIME - 0-1

Lewandowski starts the second half heading a cross by Davies into Kretzschmar's hands, a warning of what's very likely to come. The keeper soon has more work to do, tipping a powerful effort by Tonali over the bar in the 54th minute, then Lewandowski sends wide a great chance on the break in which he somehow manages to outspeed both of our center-backs despite his age. It's about time for us to go for broke, and youngsters Sapmaz and Karlsen enter the fray replacing a very invisible Maldini and Urko, solid but not particularly involved.

A cross by Davies in the 63rd allows Lewandowski another chance to score his customary goal against us, but this time it's the post that gets in the way of the eternal Pole and we're safe for a bit longer. They're not as sharp going forward as before, though, and we take the chance to try and start being a bit more attacking ourselves. Time passes without any action on either goal until the 79th, when Gnabry gathers a great pass inside the box and dribbles past Kretzschmar's desperate rush, but runs out of space and ends up shooting into the post. Lewandowski wastes another chance with a high header in a corner kick, and we enter the final ten minutes with a chance of stealing something from this match.

We pour forward with all we have, which isn't much, but obviously that risks Bayern hitting us on the break. Werner has one of those in the 87th, but takes too long to finish the job and Lang gets there with a last-ditch tackle to keep us alive. Kretzschmar saves another finish by Lewandowski already in injury time, but we can't hit them back before time runs out on us. An expected defeat, but we're getting closer.

* * *

TSV 1860 München 0
FC Bayern München 1 (Yousouffa Moukoko 9)

- - -

No surprises here, Bayern are still much better than us. Still, we defended really well today, Kretzschmar was his usual excellent self, and we made them sweat until the last second for a change. We only lacked some chances in the second half to really put the fear in their hearts, but we can't have it all, I guess.

Gladbach beat Hertha and Leverkusen steal a draw from Dortmund, who have completely imploded in these final few fixtures. Heck, Hamburg even have a chance of catching up to them in the third place after their 4-0 win over Eintracht! Won't be able to take it because there's a +12 goal differential in Dortmund's favor, not to mention HSV play in the Allianz with Bayern needing a win, but still. We drop down to 6th on goal difference and, with Gladbach now only two points behind us and Leverkusen, we'll need to win our last fixture to secure the Europa League for real. HSV have already secured the fourth place with their win, of course. At the bottom, Hoffenheim are somehow still holding on, and a draw against Freiburg puts them three points behind Nürnberg with favorable goal difference.

Bustos' injury is, as expected, a twisted knee. Thanks to the two week break we face now, he'll be ready to play in our final fixture.