SSV Ulm 1846 travels to face TSG Balingen in the wfv-Pokal round of 16 on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 PM local time at the Balingen venue.
Steeped in Regional History and Lower-League Battles
TSG Balingen’s roots trace back to its foundation as Turngemeinde Balingen in 1848, though the football department itself was established later in 1907. Operating independently since September 2020, the club oversees a wide array of sports ranging from basketball to fencing, while its former handball department merged to compete in the Handball-Bundesliga as HBW Balingen-Weilstetten. On the pitch, Balingen earned promotion to the Regionalliga Südwest for the first time in the 2017/18 campaign, eventually securing a club-best sixth-place finish in the 2022/23 season.
Relegation followed in 2023/24, initiating a cycle of immediate promotion and subsequent drops that currently finds the club competing in the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg. To reach the round of 16 in this season's wfv-Pokal, Balingen beat Landesligisten TSV Riedlingen 2-0 and SSV Ehingen-Süd 3-1. In league play, Balingen sits tenth in the Oberliga standings, recovering from three opening losses to mount a six-match unbeaten streak.
Familiar Faces and Historical Head-to-Head Records
Wednesday’s clash carries added significance for several players with shared histories. Balingen player Christian Derflinger assessed the matchup bluntly ahead of kickoff, pointing to a balanced tactical outlook. “The chances are 50:50,” Derflinger said. “Ulm has the better squad, we have the better form and the home advantage. It will definitely be an intensive game.”
Balingen’s youth academy has historically produced talent for higher tiers, developing players such as Florian Kath—who made 50 third-division appearances for Magdeburg and 25 Bundesliga outings for Freiburg—and Sinan Tekerci, who logged over 100 third-division matches alongside a brief Bundesliga appearance for 1. FC Nürnberg. Former professional Frank Elser, who played over 200 second-division games including 47 for SSV Ulm, later managed Balingen in the late 1990s. For current Ulm striker Halim Eroğlu—who played for Balingen from 2024 to 2026—and teammate Šimun Birkić, who featured for Balingen from 2025 to 2026, the fixture marks a return to their former club.
Historically, Ulm holds the upper hand in the fixture. Across 11 total meetings, the Spatzen have claimed six victories, alongside one draw. Their most recent encounter occurred in Regionalliga Südwest play in April 2023, when Ulm fell 2-1 in Balingen. However, previous wfv-Pokal encounters in 2020 and 2021 both ended in 3-0 victories for Ulm.
Squad Status and Interim Leadership at Ulm
SSV Ulm enters the cup tie facing roster constraints. Kim Bayer remains sidelined due to a foot injury, while illness kept several unnamed players out of training sessions leading up to the match. Interim coach Timo Wenzel addressed his temporary tenure and tactical philosophy ahead of the trip, emphasizing the psychological reset required for his squad.
“I want to help the club, but it must be clearly communicated how long this will go,” Wenzel said regarding his interim role. “We are only looking at the game in Balingen now.” Evaluating the opposition, Wenzel noted that Balingen deploys a well-organized defensive block characterized by frequent runs into space, which his coaching staff spent time analyzing. “It is a homogeneous team, there are good guys in there,” Wenzel added. “We have to have a good feeling and go into the game with clear instructions. You have to approach the matter with a positive attitude and you need sense of achievement. These also come through won duels and you infect the other person, it’s like a puzzle.”
While Ulm remains winless in league competition, the coaching staff views the cup tournament as a vital avenue to generate positive momentum. Tickets remain available online and at the stadium ticket counters, with live broadcasting provided via LEAGUES.
Worth a look
