The incredible rise of Elversberg: The tiny German club’s rapid rise from fourth tier to going toe-to-toe with Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga
Elversberg came through a far tougher test at ista-Borussia-Park on matchday two. They found themselves 3-1 down to Gladbach before the hour mark, and Wagner was sent off for protesting against the home side’s second goal, which came after the referee mistakenly awarded a thrown-in to them instead of Elversberg.
Still, the manager was able to turn the tide with his substitution instructions from the stands. Krattenmacher reduced the arrears one minute after hisintroduction, heading the ball against the crossbar before sliding the rebound into the net, and Felix Heidel then levelled the scoreline with a beautifully struck free-kick in the 80th minute.
The stage was set for a dramatic finale, and deep into stoppage time, Futkeu, another substitute, teed up Krattenmacher to sweep home Elversberg’s fourth and complete a memorable brace. It was a pulsating contest that underlined the indomitable spirit running through Wagner’s squad.
“I enjoyed the way we played football – simply a sensational team performance from everyone,” the coach told reporters. Club captain Lukas Pinckert added: “We were 1-3 down in front of this crowd and turned the game around as a newly-promoted team – that’s remarkable. We’re simply a unit, we never give up.”
If Elversberg can do the impossible and beat Bayern on Sunday, they could storm to the Bundesliga summit, provided other results go their way. That would be dreamland, and the new boys can take extra hope from Schalke’s 0-0 draw against Bayern last time out as they bid to keep the likes of Harry Kane and Michael Olise quiet.
There will be no plan to park the bus like Schalke did, though; Elversberg will stick to their core values and take the game to Bayern. Welzmuller, a Munich native who grew up supporting Germany’s most successful club, has said of the magnitude of the fixture: “It will be insane. [But] we don’t fear anybody.” That, above all of their many other endearing qualities as a club, is what makes Elversberg truly special.
