Relegation Pressure Before the Final Sprint: Ulm Must Deliver Now in Osnabrück

SSV Ulm 1846 Fußball goes into the last two matchdays of the 3rd league as 18th in the table – with 32 points after 36 matches and a goal difference of 46:74. Before the away game at league leaders VfL Osnabrück, the situation is extremely tense after only four points from the last five games.

On Saturday, the toughest possible task awaits: Ulm faces the league leaders. Osnabrück has 76 points after 36 matches. For Ulm, practically every result counts in the season finale – especially since after the match in Osnabrück, the final home game against Rot-Weiss Essen follows on May 16 (1:30 p.m.).

Ulm Deep in the Relegation Zone Before Matchday 37

The starting position is clear and is underlined by the bare numbers: Ulm has 32 points, is therefore 18th, and has a minus 28 goal difference (46:74). In a league where direct competitors at the bottom often have the same points, such a record increases the pressure even more: It's not just about scoring points at all, but also about not worsening your own goal difference if necessary.

Additionally: Ulm is level on points with TSV Havelse, who are also on 32 points in 17th place. Thus, the gap to the place directly above is currently not measurable in points, but in details such as fine scoring – making stability and result control all the more important in the last two weekends.

The Form Curve Does Not Suggest Relief Before the Osnabrück Match

The recent run provides little relief. Ulm picked up only four points from the last five league games (one win, one draw, three losses): 0:2 against Viktoria Köln, 2:3 at TSV 1860 Munich, 2:1 against TSV Havelse, 1:5 at Hansa Rostock, and 1:1 at VfB Stuttgart II. In these five games, Ulm conceded twelve goals – a pattern that fits the season's total of 74 goals conceded.

What stands out is the mix of competitiveness and loss of control: Ulm scores regularly, but too often loses out due to conceding goals. This is exactly what makes the task at the league leaders so tricky: Against a team at the top of the table, an open exchange of blows can quickly tip. For Ulm, it will therefore be crucial to reduce the number of clear chances against them – even if that comes at the expense of their own attacking risk.

That Ulm is fundamentally capable of clear results is also shown by the season: The biggest home win was a 5:1 against 1. FC Schweinfurt 05, the biggest away win a 3:0 at FC Erzgebirge Aue. But: Such outliers do not replace a reliable series of points in the relegation battle.

The First Leg Against Osnabrück Was Already a Goal Festival

The highest-scoring Ulm match of the season was precisely the duel with the upcoming opponent: The first leg ended 3:5 against Osnabrück. Eight goals in one match are an indication of how quickly this encounter can turn into an open game – and how difficult it can be for Ulm to maintain the necessary defensive order over 90 minutes.

The roles are even clearer for the second leg: Osnabrück goes into the match as league leaders, Ulm as 18th in the table in acute distress. Kick-off is on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in Osnabrück.

This leaves Ulm with only a short final sprint to turn the season around: First, survive at the league leaders, then follow up in the last home game against Rot-Weiss Essen. The table leaves little room for interpretation – Ulm needs points, and they need them now.