Opposition Check: DSC Arminia Bielefeld

Bielefeld knocked out five Bundesliga clubs on their incredible journey to the DFB Cup final, including the then-reigning champions, Bayer Leverkusen. Their 2-1 victory against Leverkusen was a sensation: a cup final for a third-division team! To support the players on the pitch in the final against VfB Stuttgart, something grand was erected off the field: 130 square metres of Bielefeld pride, the Hermann Monument near Detmold, wrapped in the largest jersey ever seen on German soil.

Unfortunately, from Arminia’s perspective, it wasn’t enough to defeat Stuttgart in the end. However, their first-ever cup final appearance and legendary run remain unforgettable. Back to the present. 2. Bundesliga, Matchday 28. We’ll be taking a closer look at Bielefeld’s aerial prowess.

When Arminia Bielefeld plays with their heads, the move is not only clever but usually results in a goal. With ten headed goals already this season, Arminia boasts the second-best record in the league – only Paderborn (13) has scored more. Eighteen outfield players in the DSC squad are over 1.80m tall, and coach Mitch Kniat knows how to exploit that. Only two other clubs have attempted more headed shots than the East Westphalians (70). Arminia Bielefeld therefore needs seven attempts to head the ball into the net. So, the Lilies‘ defence needs to be wary! It’s fortunate that Marcel Schuhen has only had to pick the ball out of the net four times from headers – second only to Kaiserslautern (3), that’s the best record in the league.

33 years old and still an absolute leader. That’s Robin Knoche. At the end of January, the centre-back transferred from 1. FC Nürnberg to Arminia Bielefeld. The reason was simple: more playing time. And under his new coach, Mitch Kniat, he certainly got it. In his first six matches at Bielefeld’s Alm stadium, Knoche played the full 90 minutes in every single one.

The Braunschweig native has already experienced a great deal in his long career – a triumph in the DFB Cup and the Supercup stand out on his résumé. He won both trophies during his time at VfL Wolfsburg, where he spent a total of 15 years. Knoche first wore the VfL jersey at the age of twelve. His move from Wolfsburg took him to the „Alte Försterei“ stadium for four years. With Union Berlin, he embarked on a Champions League journey – traveling to Madrid, Naples, and Braga.

Now the veteran finds himself embroiled in a relegation battle in the second division. „That’s football,“ Knoche succinctly summarised in an interview with „Kicker.“ When he needs a break from the daily grind of league play, he finds „a little distraction“ in darts, as he also revealed in the same interview with „kicker.“ He’ll never forget his first 180. „I really went completely crazy,“ Knoche joked. He also cites a 161 checkout as a major achievement: „That was definitely the highlight.“ But football trumps the dartboard. Because there won’t be much time for darts for Robin Knoche and Arminia Bielefeld in their fight to stay in the league.