Rot-Weiss Essen makes a statement: RWE defeated 1. FC Magdeburg 5–2. The defense looked really good, and the counterattacks were first-rate.

At the end of their training camp, third division side Rot-Weiss Essen played a friendly against second division side 1. FC Magdeburg.

The game was played over three 35-minute periods, during which RWE coach Uwe Koschinat had to do without Lucas Brumme, Michael Kostka, and Marvin Obuz, who had to leave the training camp early and will undergo tests this month to determine how long the offensive player will have to sit out.

In a remarkable 5-2 win over Magdeburg, Koschinat once again started with a back three in front of 1,600 spectators. Old and new captain Michael Schultz had to start on the bench. New signing Luca Bazzoli took his place in the center of the back three.

And they immediately found themselves 0-1 down after just three minutes. Baris Atik gave the second division side an early lead, and Dominik Martinovic missed the equalizer shortly afterwards. The first quarter of an hour belonged to the hosts, but RWE still managed to equalize. After a cross from Franci Bouebari, Magdeburg’s Jean Hugonet put the ball into his own net with relatively little pressure.

After the 1-1 draw, it was an evenly matched encounter in which RWE took the lead shortly before the end of the first third. A ball from José-Enrique Ríos Alonso to Martinovic was enough. The attacker, who is gaining momentum, saw that Magdeburg keeper Dominik Reimann was standing too far in front of the goal. His dream lob from 40 meters was perfectly measured, putting Essen 2-1 ahead. In the second period, SCM wanted to equalize and dominated the game, but without creating any real chances. RWE looked to counterattack, and it paid off. After a precise cross from Jannik Hofmann, Martinovic hit the right post, then the left. Kaito Mizuta pushed the rebound over the line from a meter out to make it 3-1. The hosts didn’t have another real chance against a defensively strong Essen side until the 62nd minute, when RWE keeper Jakob Golz was lucky to see the post save for him. At the other end, RWE had found a taste for dream goals. Ahmet Arslan made it 4-1 in the 68th minute with a great free kick. At the start of the third period, both coaches made a complete change. Essen remained the better team and continued to counterattack at will. This led to the next goal, with substitute Jaka Cuber Potocnik skillfully taking the ball and scoring to make it 5-1.

But that wasn’t the final score, as SCM came back once more. After a supposed foul by Nicolai Schulte-Kellinghaus, Abu-Bekir Ömer El-Zein converted the penalty to make it 2-5. That was how it stayed.

While Magdeburg still has a lot of work to do, RWE can confirm its strong form. After the game, the Essen team will travel back home and have three days off. Another (double) test will follow next Friday (July 25, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.) against Bundesliga club FC Augsburg.

RWE’s line-up against 1. FC Magdeburg

Golz (71. Wienand) – Rios Alonso (71. Schultz), Bazzoli (71. Schulte-Kellinghaus), Kraulich (71. Owusu) – Hofmann (59. Kaiser), Gjasula (59. Müsel), Moustier (71. Swajkowski), Boubari (71. Celebi), Arslan (71. Cuber Potocnik) – Mizuta (71. Janssen), Martinovic (59. Safi)

Goals: 0:1 Atik (3.), 1:1 Hugonet (15., own goal), 2:1 Martinovic (32.), 3:1 Mizuta (60.), 4:1 Arslan (68.), 5:1 Cuber Potocnik (84.), 5:2 El-Zein (96.)