Wagner was due to sit out the game after being sent off for a second booking at halftime in Elversberg's 4-3 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach last week. However, his one-game ban was overturned on appeal after referee Martin Petersen made a rare admission of an error. According to Oberholz, Petersen admitted that he got it wrong when he showed Wagner a second yellow card as the coach walked onto the field at halftime. The referee now accepts that Wagner was heading towards his own players, not trying to confront him.
The overturning of Wagner's ban is a significant boost for Elversberg, who have been a sensation on their Bundesliga debut. The small-town team has already beaten former champions Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach, and will now face Bayern Munich in what is arguably the biggest game in their history.