This Sunday at the Donaustadion, two clubs square off with ambitions worlds apart, yet both desperate for a defining statement. Ulm 1846, bruised but unbowed in 12th, faces the steamrolling title chasers of Energie Cottbus, whose current second-place perch is built on swagger, efficiency, and a front line seemingly allergic to silence. Every third division campaign delivers its own flavor of chaos, but few fixtures come packed with as much narrative sizzle: a proud southern side looking to reassert itself, and a surging visitor hungry to crash the two-team party at the top.
Recent weeks have laid bare the chasm between these clubs’ forms. For Ulm, it’s been a wild ride—a bruising 1-4 defeat at Ingolstadt painfully fresh, but wedged between flashes of their attacking potential, like their 5-1 demolition of Schweinfurt and a spirited draw at Hoffenheim II. They average a respectable 1.4 goals per game and have scored in nine straight, but the problem is glaring: they have conceded in every one of their last ten matches. This defensive frailty is the crack in the Donaustadion façade, threatening to undo Dennis Chessa’s invention and Leon Dajaku’s creative bursts before they can truly unsettle the opposition.
Cottbus, meanwhile, arrives in SSV’s backyard with the stride of a team who knows exactly who they are. Erik Engelhardt is the man of the moment, his predatory instincts driving a side averaging a mighty 1.7 goals per game and riding the confidence of a three-match winning streak, part of a devastating run where they’ve scored in 26 consecutive matches. Tolcay Cigerci pulls the strings from midfield, leading the assist charts and chipping in seven goals, exemplifying the multi-national, attacking, high-tempo football that’s turning heads in this division.
There’s a fascinating tension between styles here. Ulm’s approach is restless, often giving fans heart palpitations with its blend of quick transitions and defensive risk. Dajaku, with three assists, will again be vital if they’re to punch holes in a disciplined Cottbus outfit. But Ulm’s defensive leader, Marcel Seegert, walks a disciplinary tightrope with four yellow cards already—his timing and composure will be tested against an attack that loves to probe and punish any lapse.
Cottbus, by contrast, is a picture of clinical balance. They open games at a measured pace but become lethal after the restart, with nearly 30% of their goals coming between the 61st and 75th minutes—a warning for any Ulm side tempted to drop their guard after the interval. Engelhardt is the tip of the spear, supported by the movement and creativity of Hannemann and Cigerci. On the rare occasion Ulm ventures ahead, it’s worth noting that Cottbus is vulnerable when trailing away from home, having failed to win when down 1-0 on the road this season. But let Cottbus take the lead, and they close up shop: 84% win rate when up 1-0 away—a cold, almost ruthless efficiency.
The stakes are unmistakable. For Cottbus, a win here would keep them within striking distance of the summit and serve notice that their promotion bid is fueled by grit as much as gloss. For Ulm, it’s a chance to signal they belong in bigger conversations, to seize a signature win that could galvanize a stop-start campaign and fire up their faithful. The Donaustadion will be ready, the stands a swirl of color and voices from all backgrounds, proof of how football in Germany’s lower leagues can unite and inspire.
Tactically, expect Ulm to start fast, looking to exploit Cottbus’s habit of conservative openings—hoping Dajaku and Elias Loder (their top scorer with four goals) can strike early and ignite belief. But as legs tire and the game stretches, Cottbus’s depth, discipline, and ability to strike in that critical post-hour mark could prove decisive. If Ulm’s defensive lines bend under pressure from Engelhardt and the tireless Cigerci, there may be a sense of inevitability about the visitors’ firepower.
There’s no denying that Energie Cottbus are favorites—and deservedly so. But if football has taught us anything, it’s that desire can sometimes tip the scales against probability. Ulm will defend their turf with every ounce of local pride, drawing from their international talents and the collective spirit that pulses through German football’s heartlands. The beautiful game—diverse, dramatic, and ever-evolving—rarely reads the script. All eyes on Donaustadion, as the possibility of a new hero or an improbable result hangs thick in the October air.