After six games without a win, third-division football club VfL Osnabrück celebrated a 1-0 victory over RWE. Afterwards, the protagonists raved about the atmosphere.

On Friday evening, VfL Osnabrück and Rot-Weiss Essen met at Bremer Brücke. The last time the two traditional clubs met in Osnabrück – in April 2006 in the 2nd division (4:1 for RWE) – 8,500 fans made the pilgrimage to the game. This time, almost twice as many spectators were on site in the 3rd League. “There will be a sizzling atmosphere at Bremer Brücke,” Osnabrück emphasised in a pre-match press release. And that’s exactly what happened. A total of 15,203 fans created a special floodlit atmosphere.

The Essen team had completely exhausted the guest contingent of 1,400 tickets and the VfL also attracted more spectators to the stadium than at all three previous home appearances against Saarbrücken, FC Ingolstadt and the opening match against MSV Duisburg. They did not regret coming. Because: Osnabrück defeated RWE 1-0 (0-0) in a contested match and celebrated only their second win of the season.

Friday evening, floodlights, Bremer Brücke – it was a great atmosphere from both fan camps. A lot of Esseners came along too.

Omar Haktab Traoré.

The relief was correspondingly great among the Purple and Whites – including right-back Omar Haktab Traoré. “Friday night, floodlights, Bremer Brücke – it was a great atmosphere from both fan camps. Many Essen fans also came along. The game was heated, with lots of duels. We took the lead at the right time. It was a work victory against a good opponent,” the 24-year-old told RevierSport. Traoré played a big part in the victory with his assist to Ba-Muaka Simakala (35th).

For VfL coach Tobias Schweinsteiger, it was his first home game at Bremer Brücke. The coach was thrilled by the atmosphere: “It was sensational. We had very, very difficult phases, especially in the second half, but the fans kept pushing us. It was very emotional. You don’t forget your first win as head coach in Germany. “