Rot-Weiß Oberhausen travels to Fortuna Cologne on Saturday (October 12, 2 p.m.) for a top-of-the-table clash. Except for his most important player, RWO coach Sebastian Gunkel has a full squad to choose from.
“Except for Moritz Stoppelkamp, all players are in training. Our coaching team is therefore spoiled for choice. That starts with the nomination for the matchday squad,” reports Dennis Lichtenwimmer.
The sporting director of Rot-Weiß Oberhausen is pleased that the RWO infirmary has cleared up. Last season and also in this series, things looked very different.
Stoppelkamp’s return will have to wait. “I don’t want to make any predictions. I hope that Moritz will be available to us again this year. That’s all I can say at the moment,” emphasizes Lichtenwimmer.
However, the 34-year-old also knows that Kleeblatt coach Sebastian Gunkel’s team will now have to cope without their leader and continue to score points. “We want to ride the wave for as long as possible. We feel very comfortable up there among the top five teams,” says Lichtenwimmer. He adds: ”But we also know that there could be a dip. Apart from the youth teams, we have the youngest squad in the Regionalliga West. I’m curious to see how the boys will perform without Moritz Stoppelkamp.”
The fact that RWO is only two points behind the leaders after ten games also has something to do with the fact that it’s been either great or terrible in Oberhausen this season – meaning seven wins and three losses. A comparison with 2023/2024 shows that RWO had 15 (!) draws after 34 match days.
“Results are difficult to plan. But we’re out of administration mode compared to last year. After a 1-0 or 2-1 lead, we look for the next goal and don’t sit back. That was different in the past, and we often paid the price in the closing stages of games,” explains the RWO manager.
Depending on how the game goes, Lichtenwimmer would have no objection to Fortuna Cologne’s first draw of the season – but he emphasizes: “We’re going there to win. That’s always our goal. But we’re also facing a savvy team that we respect. I’m expecting a close game.”
Half an hour later (2:30 p.m.) than Fortuna against RWO, the Niederrhein Cup round of 16 between VfB Hilden and Rot-Weiss Essen will kick off. Lichtenwimmer will be eagerly awaiting the final result after the RWO game. After all, he worked for VfB for many years.
Speaking to Forecasting, the sporting director of Rot-Weiß Oberhausen said: “Every higher-ranked club has been drawn against a really good opponent in the Niederrhein Cup round of 16. We have to play Homberg, Bocholt has ETB, MSV has Velbert, and RWE has Hilden. I’m sure that not all the favorites will get through. The squad in Hilden is still largely the one we put together. On top of that, I have a past in Hilden. So it’s obvious that I’m rooting for VfB and hoping they knock RWE out – also in the interests of RWO.”