Hallescher FC hosts 1. FC Lok Leipzig at the LEUNA-CHEMIE-STADION on Sunday at 2 p.m. in an East German football classic that brings together two sides with 44 previous meetings in the former DDR-Oberliga alone, hallescherfc.de reported.
Derby pressure at the LEUNA-CHEMIE-STADION
Sunday’s fixture carries heightened stakes as HFC searches for its first Regionalliga win against Lok Leipzig since dropping out of the 3. Liga following the 2023/24 season. Previous fourth-tier meetings produced two draws and two Lok victories, with both wins secured in Halle. HFC last defeated the Leipzig club in league play on May 9, 2003, claiming a 1–0 home victory against VfB Leipzig in the NOFV-Oberliga Süd.
Momentum favors the hosts entering the weekend. HFC head into the derby on a nine-match unbeaten run that includes six consecutive victories, most recently securing a 1–0 away win against FC Erzgebirge Aue courtesy of a stoppage-time header by Fabrice Hartmann. That result leaves HFC just two points behind table-leader Chemnitz. Meanwhile, 1. FC Lok Leipzig arrives after a 2–2 draw in the local derby against BSG Chemie Leipzig.
Niklas Landgraf approaches 300 appearances
HFC defender Niklas Landgraf stands on the verge of his 300th competitive appearance for the club, provided he maintains his fitness and earns a selection from the coaching staff. The milestone match would arrive against Lok Leipzig on October 25.
Landgraf’s career in Halle began with a significant setback when he suffered a severe injury during his first training session in July 2017, sidelining him for three months. Das war ziemlich ärgerlich,
Landgraf said of the difficult start. He eventually made his competitive debut on October 28, 2017, appearing as a 90th-minute substitute in a 2–0 victory over Meppen.
The 30-year-old defender has accumulated 299 competitive appearances across multiple competitions, comprising 206 matches in the 3. Liga, 66 in the Regionalliga, five in the DFB-Pokal, and 22 in the Landespokal, a competition he has won five times. Ein Heimsieg gegen Lok wäre natürlich wunderbar, für mich, aber vor allem für den Verein,
Landgraf said.
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