Third division side Rot-Weiss Essen hosted SC Verl for the 20th time in total on matchday 29. Once again, the game ended in a 1:1 draw.

Rot-Weiss Essen hosted SC Verl at the Sportclub Arena for the first time since 2018. Back then, the two clubs drew 1-1 in the Regionalliga West, but now they met again one division higher. Last year, the match took place in Paderborn due to the stadium renovation.

Curious: Once again, the NRW duel ended in a 1-1 draw – for the fifth time in Verl’s last six home games against Essen. It seems to be the standard result. The last time there was a winner between Verl and RWE in the Sportclub Arena was in 2015

The Red & Whites return to Hafenstrasse next Sunday with a home match against Borussia Dortmund’s U23s (March 17, 1.30 pm). In the first half of the season, the BVB game was a turning point and the starting signal for Essen’s winning streak.

Five three-pointers in a row were celebrated against Dortmund, Saarbrücken, MSV Duisburg, Arminia Bielefeld and Waldhof Mannheim. As a result, Dabrowski’s team climbed from mid-table to third place. In order to really attack at the top again and have a say in the top places, a winning streak is needed again

It would of course be great if we could start this series again. If not now, then when? We still have nine games left. If we want to stay at the top, we have to start a little streak.

Jakob Golz

Essen keeper Jakob Golz knows that too: “In the first half of the season, we had the two games against Unterhaching and Verl that really hurt. Then came the victories. Of course, it would be great if we could start that streak again. If not now, then when? We still have nine games left. If we want to stay at the top, we have to start a small series. That starts with the next game against Dortmund II. “