TSV 1860 Munich: The victory comes from the bench

What Sechzig coach Patrick Glöckner said after the game was refreshingly honest. He was glad that football isn't about a beauty prize: "We wouldn't have won it today," he summed up perfectly. Neither team would have deserved such a prize on Saturday afternoon, given how tired and lacking in chances the match in Aachen's Tivoli Stadium was. But since, as Glöckner pointed out, football isn't about a beauty prize, but rather the result, it should be noted: A good lion only roars as loudly as necessary to underline a good start to the season and to remain unbeaten after three league games. And even if no one in Giesing wants to use the nasty "A-word," the team will find it difficult to escape their promotion ambitions when even a poor performance is enough for a 2-0 win and three points.

In the end, it was striker Patrick Hobsch who fired the ball into the net with the inside of the post. The striker who is often forgotten amidst all the hype surrounding big-name signings Kevin Volland and Florian Niederlechner. Hobsch was the team's top scorer last season with eleven goals, before this summer's transfer offensive saw him go from number one to number four, raising legitimate questions about his sporting future. But Hobsch stayed. And while the new signings – namely Kevin Volland, Florian Niederlechner, and Sigurd Haugen – were largely unproductive in Aachen , it was Hobsch who scored the first goal in the 89th minute. David Philipp, also a substitute, made it 2-0 in stoppage time. If the Sixty stars don't score, then victory comes from the bench – a sign that will likely be viewed very positively in the Lions' camp.

Until Hobsch's beautiful goal, it looked nothing like the Lions would be able to harm the potato beetles – yes, that's the nickname of the Aachen team. The battle between lion and potato beetle – arguably one of the most unequal duels in the wild that the animal world has to offer – was for a long time a battle of low footballing standards. Glöckner had spoken of "70 good minutes" after the convincing 3-1 win against VfL Osnabrück on the previous matchday. With a bit of imagination, it was 15 this time.

The first half didn't offer any particularly exciting scenes; the Munich team, just as they had in the closing stages against Osnabrück, were unusually passive and had trouble breaking free from the hosts' high attacking press. After less than 25 minutes, Glöckner dug out the tactics board for the first time on the sidelines, so dissatisfied was he with what he saw from his team: "We didn't cope with the game," said the coach, even though Aachen's performance had been predictable. "The playful elements were a bit lacking today, but also because the opponent played vicious one-on-one all over the pitch," Glöckner said on the Sky microphone after the match. The two most exciting moments of the first half came from Niederlechner, who was denied by Aachen keeper Olchowsky with a shot (33') and then shot himself with a botched scissor-kick attempt (43').

However, Glöckner felt that one could only take their hat off to the team's morale and fighting spirit. The team then "came out quite well" in the second half and, with a few adjustments, was able to steer the game more in their own direction. But even with these adjustments, little changed in the patchwork nature of this third-division match. Aachen, entering the match with a severely weakened squad, kept the Blues away from their own goal without being able to pose any real threat themselves.

But just when everyone thought the potato beetle and the lion would actually neutralize each other into endless boredom, former FC Bayern talent Gianluca Gaudino, now 28 years old and a midfielder in Aachen, unwittingly provided relief for the Munich team. He received a second yellow card in the 64th minute for a foul on Niederlechner. The first yellow card, against Gaudino, was quite controversial. But even against ten Aachen players, it took until the 89th minute before the almost 2,500 traveling Lions fans could celebrate. Kevin Volland's deflected shot landed at Hobsch's feet in the penalty area, then hit the right inside post, and finally into the net, before Philipp doubled the lead two minutes later.

Thus, in the end, 1860 not only secured an away win, but also kept a clean sheet for the first time this season. After Patrick Glöckner had declared before the match that two goals conceded in two matches was still too much for him, his team delivered a largely solid defensive performance in Aachen, although the threat from Alemannia remained limited. Captain Jesper Verlaat was fortunate when his foul on Aachen striker Fabio Torsiello was only awarded a free kick (55th minute). With video review, which is not available in the third division, a penalty might have been awarded.