1. FC Saarbrücken narrowly defeated newly promoted 1. FC Schweinfurt 2-1 in Friday evening’s match, remaining MSV Duisburg’s closest rival.

1. FC Saarbrücken remains MSV Duisburg’s closest rival in the 3rd division. Coach Alois Schwartz’s team celebrated its fifth win of the season and fourth three-pointer in a row with a hard-fought 2-1 (2-0) victory over promoted 1. FC Schweinfurt, remaining firmly in second place after the seventh match day.

The Saarlanders are now only two points behind MSV (18 points), who have had a perfect start to the season, but Duisburg can restore the old gap on Sunday at TSV Havelse.

Kai Brünker put Saarbrücken on the road to victory with a brace (22nd, 31st), his fourth and fifth goals of the season. This puts the 31-year-old just one goal behind his strike partner Florian Pick, who leads the league scoring charts. Lauris Bausenwein scored for the visitors (52nd minute) to make the game exciting again, but after Calogero Rizzuto was sent off with a red card (82nd minute), FCS held on to win despite being a man down.

Match statistics:

1. FC Saarbrücken: Menzel – Wilhelm, Sonnenberg, Bichsel – Rizzuto, Krahn, Rabihic (61. Civeja), Bretschneider – Pick (86. Bormuth), Brünker (61. P. Schmidt), Elongo-Yombo (61. Kamara)

Schweinfurt 05: Stahl – Zeller (46. Latteier), T. Meißner, Krätschmer (24. Trslic) – Bausenwein, Geis, Böhnlein (83. Tranziska), Piwernetz – Endres (66. Luque-Notaro), Obiogumu, Wintzheimer (46. Dellinger)

Referee: Simon Schreiner (Pfarrkirchen)

Attendance: 8000

Goals: 1-0 Brünker (22′), 2-0 Brünker (30′), 2-1 Bausenwein (52′)

Red cards: Rizzuto (83’/serious foul play)