Underdog City Leader on Day 35 - Osnabrück Tops the Standings
Fans Pack Stadiums While the 3. Liga Heats Up
The weekend just passed was a thrilling one for 3. Liga fans, with their teams in action. Let's dive into the away fan attendance numbers from the 35th matchday.
With promotion on the line, fans at the top of the table are showing their support. Dynamo Dresden and Arminia Bielefeld, one step away from the 2. Bundesliga, clinched victories against SV Sandhausen (2:1) and FC Ingolstadt (3:0), respectively. The two leaders are now seven and six points ahead of the chasing pack led by Energie Cottbus and 1. FC Saarbrücken. Although Dresden and Bielefeld could potentially secure promotion next weekend, Hannover 96 II and SV Sandhausen are left battling relegation with dwindling chances.
Instead, a three-way battle for two places in the 3. Liga 2025/26 is emerging in the relegation zone. Borussia Dortmund II currently leads with 43 points, although they suffered a surprising 0:4 loss to Hannover II this past weekend. Close competitors Waldhof Mannheim and VfB Stuttgart II are tied on 40 points, with Mannheim holding a better goal difference as their safety net. Although they may face a tougher schedule, Mannheim's away fan numbers suggest a strong showing from supporters.
The Long Road for Away Fans
As the season reaches its critical point, stadiums are more packed than ever, especially at clubs with crucial points on the line. Even with significant distances to travel, the away sections were buzzing. The Munich Lions fan group covered the most ground, traveling 789 kilometers to Rostock. Meanwhile, VfB Stuttgart's second team hosted a much smaller crowd than their first team would.
Here are the away fan counts and travel distances for the 3. Liga 35th matchday:
Hansa Rostock - TSV 1860 Munich26,067 spectators / 900 away fans / 789 travel kilometers
SpVgg Unterhaching - Energie Cottbus4,725 spectators / 1,900 away fans / 597 travel kilometers
Viktoria Köln - SV Wehen Wiesbaden3,482 spectators / 220 away fans / 171 travel kilometers
Dynamo Dresden - SV Sandhausen30,446 spectators / 130 away fans / 527 travel kilometers
Rot-Weiss Essen - 1. FC Saarbrücken18,507 spectators / 1,750 away fans / 338 travel kilometers
Borussia Dortmund II - Hannover 96 II1,541 spectators / 150 away fans / 232 travel kilometers
SC Verl - Erzgebirge Aue2,484 spectators / 400 away fans / 463 travel kilometers
FC Ingolstadt - Arminia Bielefeld8,363 spectators / 1,500 away fans / 525 travel kilometers
Alemannia Aachen - VfL Osnabrück28,745 spectators / 2,900 away fans / 270 travel kilometers
Waldhof Mannheim - VfB Stuttgart II19,854 spectators / 350 away fans / 113 travel kilometers
The guest curves on matchday 35 of the 3. Liga show a varied, yet recognizable picture. A few blocks, such as Hannover 96 II, VfB Stuttgart II, SV Wehen Wiesbaden, and SV Sandhausen had fewer attendees. On the contrary, four clubs attracted a four- digit number of supporters. The Munich Lions narrowly missed this mark in distant Rostock, while VfL Osnabrück boasted the largest away following in Aachen, although it did not guarantee victory. Arminia Bielefeld and 1. FC Saarbrücken celebrated large away support, while even Energie Cottbus found some backing against SpVgg Unterhaching.
- Despite the long distances, away sections at clubs with critical points were buzzing, such as the Munich Lions who traveled 789 kilometers to Rostock.
- The away fan count at Borussia Dortmund II was only 150, despite their close competitors Waldhof Mannheim and VfB Stuttgart II attracting larger away crowds.
- A few clubs, including Hannover 96 II, VfB Stuttgart II, SV Wehen Wiesbaden, and SV Sandhausen, had fewer attendees in their away sections.
- Four clubs, namely Dynamo Dresden, Rot-Weiss Essen, VfL Osnabrück, and Alemannia Aachen, attracted a four-digit number of supporters in their away sections, although it didn't guarantee victory for all of them.
