In the last match of the English week, Rot-Weiss Essen will face Preußen Münster. A match that promises a lot of excitement and drama.

There are games that make fans’ hearts beat faster. One of these games is definitely the Westschlager between Rot-Weiss Essen and Preußen Münster.

On Sunday, it’s that time again. RWE will host the Eagles at the end of the English week (27 August, 7.30 pm) at the Hafenstraße stadium. “We want to get our first three points this weekend,” explained Essen goalkeeper Jakob Golz ahead of the game.

While Essen is aiming for its first win, Münster already celebrated a liberation on Tuesday with a 3:1 victory over Ingolstadt. When the two clubs meet for the fourth matchday in the 3rd Division, it will be the 49th time they have met in a competitive match.

The record speaks clearly in favour of RWE: 22 wins, 11 draws and 15 defeats (78:58 goals). The first encounter between the two arch-rivals took place in 1949 in the then Oberliga West – and Essen won 4:0 in Münster.

The home statistics also favour the Red-Whites. In 14 of 24 duels (6 draws, 4 wins Münster), RWE had the upper hand at Hafenstraße. However, the truth is that the last matches were all close and hard-fought. Of the past eleven direct duels, there have been five wins and one draw in each case – so it has been much more even. The last game in particular remains in the memory.

A look back: In February 2022, the match between Essen and Münster was abandoned in the closing stages at 1-1 after a firecracker was set off in the Westkurve. The game was first interrupted, then abandoned and Münster were awarded three points at the green table. At the end of the season, Rot-Weiss Essen still celebrated promotion with a very narrow margin. Now it’s time for a reunion.

Of course I’ve been there in the past. Even though I only came last year, I know there’s tension there. The fans have a clear mandate to us. You could hear that after the Cologne game. It’s going to be a hot one – in front of a full Hafenstraße.

Björn Rother.

For RWE six-man Björn Rother it is his first game in an Essen shirt against Münster. However, the 27-year-old is already aware of the importance of this match: “Of course, I’ve been there in the past. Even though I only came last year, I know that there is tension. The fans have a clear mandate for us. You could hear that after the Cologne game. It’s going to be a hot one – in front of a full Hafenstraße. Despite all the doggedness, we can look forward to such a highlight. “