Overview
- Kickoff is Saturday at 14:00 local time with free-to-air coverage on BR and RBB, and full broadcast on MagentaSport. 1860 coach Markus Kauczinski frames his side as underdogs against the table leaders and urges consistency after mixed recent results.
- Defender Raphael Schifferl is out for weeks with a leg injury and fellow center-back Jesper Verlaat also remains unavailable.
- Kauczinski says he has a clear lineup in mind, weighing Max Reinthaler versus Philipp Maier in central defense with Siemen Voet and Sean Dulic likely involved, and Thomas Dähne retained in goal.
- Energie Cottbus travel top of the 3. Liga by a single point after a 1–4 DFB-Pokal loss to RB Leipzig that included two set-piece concessions, with coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz and Kauczinski trading psychological jabs.