Overview
- Tolcay Cigerci, battling a viral illness after limited training, started on the bench and was introduced right after halftime.
- Jannis Boziaris missed the squad entirely with calf problems, thinning Cottbus' creative options in midfield.
- The first half finished 0-0 with few chances, as Cottbus struggled to break down Osnabrück and King Manu headed the hosts' best look wide in the 41st minute.
- Wollitz removed forward Timmy Thiele at the interval to bring on his top scorer in an effort to unlock the match.
- With Cigerci and Boziaris unavailable to start, responsibility initially fell to Moritz Hannemann and Lukas Michelbrink against a defense that has conceded only 11 goals.