After eleven match days, MSV Duisburg and Rot-Weiss Essen are at the top of the 3rd league. Can RWE now trigger the same euphoria in the derby that already exists at MSV?

Just under a third of the season is over, and the first conclusion we can draw is that The 3rd league remains true to form. Predictions are difficult to make, and things are extremely exciting at both the top and bottom of the table. With two exceptions.

The promoted teams from Schweinfurt and Havelse are already lagging behind early on. With a total of one win from 22 games, it’s no surprise that both are likely to find their way back to the regional league.

Otherwise, the teams that were expected to slump due to major changes in the summer have gotten off to a better start than expected. Viktoria Cologne, Energie Cottbus, and SC Verl, for example, have consistently managed to get off to a strong start to the season. However, the trio is still not expected to make a big splash.

Although two of the big favorites, TSV 1860 Munich and Hansa Rostock, offer plenty of opportunities to establish themselves at the top despite their victories at the weekend. Hansa and 1860 are still a long way from where they see themselves. In general, this becomes clear when you follow the season.

So far, no team has shown real dominance. MSV Duisburg comes closest, giving the impression in Munich that it can currently cope with any setback. Even though the “Zebras” lost 1-3 and failed to score any points for the first time, they were clearly the dominant team, especially after the break.

They had the better chances and, by all accounts, should never have lost this game. Anyone who has seen MSV so far will recognize that the Meiderich team is a force to be reckoned with. They are absolutely capable of emulating SSV Ulm or Preußen Münster and making the leap from the regional league to the 2nd Bundesliga.

This coming weekend (Sunday, 7:30 p.m.), the big derby against Rot-Weiss Essen is on the agenda. And this is also a great opportunity for RWE. So far, the season has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions for the team and fans. There have been highlight victories such as the 4-3 win in Wehen and the 3-0 win against Rostock, but also real low points such as the 1-6 defeat in Mannheim, the 2-3 defeat against Aachen, and the elimination from the Niederrhein Cup at Rot-Weiß Oberhausen.

Nevertheless, RWE is tied on points with third-placed VfL Osnabrück in sixth place. Despite the feeling that the squad is capable of much more, not everyone is performing at their best.

With a derby win, Essen could finally capitalize on a hard-fought victory like the one against Viktoria Cologne. They could spark the kind of euphoria that already exists in Duisburg. And when you see how Rostock, Wehen, Munich, and Saarbrücken keep slipping up, you want to shout to the two Ruhr clubs:

Take the passes, seize the opportunity that is being offered to you. Because what a celebration it would be if, at the end of the season, MSV Duisburg and Rot-Weiss Essen could celebrate their comeback to League 2 together. There have been far more unrealistic scenarios than this…