Over the weekend, the youth teams of TSV 1860 Munich and the senior team of SV Werder Bremen faced off against Borussia Mönchengladbach, showcasing both the highs and lows of competitive football. On March 16, 2025, the U19 team of TSV 1860 Munich suffered yet another setback, losing 1:2 to the young players of Borussia Mönchengladbach at their home ground, the Grünwalder Straße. This match was witnessed by around 100 fans who saw their team take the lead before succumbing to two back-to-back goals.
Samuel Althaus had initially set the optimism high, scoring for the Löwen right after the halftime break, putting them 1:0 up. Unfortunately, his goal was not enough to secure any points for the team, marking their fourth consecutive defeat. The young squad, led by coach Schittenhelm, now finds themselves at the bottom of the league table with just three points from seven games, still seeking their first win this round. Despite their struggles, the fact they qualified for this competitive main round was itself seen as something of an achievement.
Meanwhile, the U17 team of TSV 1860 Munich had no such troubles, cruising to another convincing victory. On the same day, they routed Rot-Weiß Erfurt 6:0, marking their sixth win from six matches. The players showcased dominant performances, with six different scorers contributing to the victory: Valentin Bannert, Loris Husic, Efe Karakoc, Sami Kenzeddine, Fabian Rothermel, and Xaver Lippmann, who scored late on. Coach Christian Stegmaier remarked, "We decided the game directly in the first 15 minutes," highlighting his team's tactical execution. "The boys entered the match with the right attitude and quickly set the score to 3:0," he added, indicating their strong preparation and performance.
On March 17, 2025, the senior side of SV Werder Bremen faced Borussia Mönchengladbach, following the disappointing trend seen the previous day. They entered the match holding hope after their recent win against Leverkusen but were met with early challenges. The game started with Gladbach taking the lead through Alassane Pléa, who converted from the penalty spot at just the seventh minute, followed by another goal from him after thirty minutes of play.
The Werder squad, under the guidance of coach Ole Werner, fought back valiantly, drawing level before halftime thanks to goals from Romano Schmid—who netted from a well-taken free kick—and Andre Silva, who scored from the penalty spot, equalizing the score at 2:2 just before the break. Schmid described his impressive free kick, saying, "It’s not always easy for a right-footed player to score from the side, but I saw the goalkeeper far away from his goal and managed to make it count."
Despite their efforts and having the momentum on their side, the second half mirrored the U19 team's challenges as they allowed another early goal, with Tim Kleindienst extending Gladbach's lead to 4:2. Disappointedly, Werder allowed two early goals just after gaining the upper hand and struggled to maintain their control over the match, with Schmid criticizing the tendency to give the opposition too many chances: "We’re making it too easy for the opponent to score from our mistakes."
Werder Bremen continues to grapple with defensive lapses, remaining unable to fully capitalize on their attacking play, having created numerous scoring chances throughout the game. Coach Werner summed up the team's performance candidly, remarking, "We made it too easy for the opponent to convert their opportunities; we had at least as many chances as they did but converted fewer."
This past weekend highlighted the contrasting fortunes of two teams associated with TSV 1860 München. While the U19 side faces challenges at the lowest end of the table, the U17 continues to rise up with consistent victories. On the flip side, Werder Bremen is left to reassess their defensive tactics after two games against Borussai Mönchengladbach resulted in undesirable outcomes—where they repeatedly found themselves on the back foot.
The mixed results from both clubs suggest pressing needs: for the youth, to learn and turn around their misfortunes, and for the senior group, to address their vulnerabilities on defense and improve their game execution. The pressures of competitive football highlight the importance of results, and the path forward must focus on both embracing successes and learning from failures. Only time will tell how both sides can adapt and improve as the season continues.
