Opposition Check: SpVgg Greuther Fürth

Since that matchday in the 2017/18 season, the team from Sportpark Ronhof has topped the all-time 2. Bundesliga table – and has done so for almost nine years. Greuther Fürth has amassed 1827 points, a full 137 points ahead of second-placed St. Pauli. 495 wins, 342 draws, and 420 losses in 1257 2. Bundesliga matches! Many impressive statistics, each a record in its own right. The goal statistics are equally remarkable: 1856 goals scored and 1653 conceded. No other team in the history of the 2. Bundesliga has amassed more.

But how are they doing now? Let’s take a look.

Unlike the all-time table, Greuther Fürth currently sit in 17th place before matchday 30, occupying a direct relegation spot. However, as is well known, the league is not only tight at the top but also in the bottom half of the table. Only six points separate Fürth from tenth place. Furthermore, Fürth are currently level on points with the teams in safety. The last five matches started promisingly for Greuther Fürth, with victories against Hannover and Elversberg giving them a boost in their fight for survival. With a total of seven points from their last five games, Fürth certainly have no reason to be ashamed.

Attack: Loss of possession. Verdict: Goal conceded. That’s how the decision would go if the judge were from Fürth. Greuther Fürth ruthlessly exploits the opposing team’s turnovers. Eleven times already, a ball recovery by Fürth has led to a goal – only Elversberg has scored more. Darmstadt must therefore be extremely cautious, so that against Vogel’s team, the saying „loss of possession = goal conceded“ doesn’t apply.

Near Zurich, on a football pitch by Lake Greifensee. It was there, in 2005, that two twin brothers faced off during training. Their names? Jan and Nico Elvedi. While Nico has been playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach for eleven years, his brother Jan has played for a variety of clubs throughout his career. Despite their different paths, Jan Elvedi repeatedly emphasises the close bond he shares with his twin brother. He did so again in an interview with the newspaper „Blick“: „We always played together. Nico came first for me, then my teammates.“

His career began in the Zurich youth academy, and he also played in Switzerland for Winterthur, Cham, Wohlen, and Kriens. Six years ago – more precisely, in the summer of 2020 – the 29-year-old first gained a foothold in Germany. He spent three years each at Jahn Regensburg and Kaiserslautern before a loan move to Fürth in the winter of 2026. The Swiss player, like his brother, plays in central defence. Both brothers dream of facing each other in the cup every year. This almost happened in 2024. However, instead of the twins, Jan faced Saarbrücken in the semi-final, who had previously knocked out Borussia Mönchengladbach. Saarbrücken’s cup run ended against Kaiserslautern, and Jan Elvedi achieved what his brother had never managed before: reaching the DFB Cup final in Berlin.

Greuther Fürth’s cup dreams are currently far from reality, but the tension is palpable. Every point counts in the relegation battle – it’s fortunate that Elvedi has been an immediate asset. Before his arrival, Greuther Fürth conceded an average of 2.4 goals per game; with Elvedi, that number has dropped to just 1.5. He has played the full 90 minutes in eight of his ten appearances in the green and white jersey. Will the same be true on Sunday (April 19th/1:30pm) against Darmstadt?