As is customary at the end of the year, the MSV Duisburg players receive their grades in the big forecasting report card after the first half of the season in the 3rd division.
After a 0-0 draw with Viktoria Cologne in their last game of the year, MSV Duisburg are spending the winter break in a strong third place in the table as newly promoted team. The Zebras have had a remarkable first half of the season in the 3rd division.
At the start of the winter break, the MSV pros from the 28-man squad receive the traditional forecasting report card. Only players who have played in at least five competitive games so far were considered for the evaluation. We start with the 15 players from the defense:
Max Braune: In his first half-season as the regular goalkeeper in the 3rd division, the 22-year-old has proven to be a reliable presence between the posts. At the same time, the home-grown player has made several costly mistakes that have led to goals being conceded – errors that are part of the learning process. His recent contract extension was therefore a logical step. With six clean sheets, Duisburg’s number one is nevertheless one of the better goalkeepers in the league and had a successful day at the Sportpark Höhenberg. RS rating: satisfactory plus (3+)
Joshua Bitter: The right-back is currently in the form of his life and is one of the team’s top performers and most mentally strong players. Two goals, three assists, and numerous offensive actions speak for themselves, as does his solid defensive work. The absence of the “Ruhrpott Tarzan,” as Magenta Sport commentator Christian Straßburger called him, was immediately noticeable during his yellow card suspension in Cottbus. RS rating: very good minus (1-)
Alexander Hahn: The captain and crowd favorite continues to lead the way and, even after the regional league championship, forms a well-rehearsed central defensive duo with Tobias Fleckstein. The promotion expert’s positioning and heading ability – both offensively and defensively – are among his greatest strengths and allow occasional speed deficits against fast strikers to fade into the background. Two goals this season underline the value of the 32-year-old. RS rating: good (2)
Tobias Fleckstein: Alongside Hahn, Braune, Can Coskun, Christian Viet, and Conor Noß, the MSV pro with the longest service record before Bitter played in all 19 league games. The 26-year-old scored against Schweinfurt and Rostock. Regardless of his disastrous day in Cottbus with two major mistakes, he remains an important constant in Duisburg’s strong defense. RS rating: good (2)
Can Coskun: The co-captain brings his offensive qualities to bear as a left-back. Speed, dribbling, and precise crosses characterize the player, who moved from Greifswald to Wedau in the summer of 2024. The 27-year-old has three goals and two assists and is an integral part of the solid back four. RS rating: very good minus (1-)
Mert Göckan: The trained left-back made 16 appearances, five of them from the start, and under Dietmar Hirsch also found himself several times in the offensive trio on the unfamiliar right side. However, the former Wuppertal player’s performance has so far been less powerful and dangerous than in the regional league. RS rating: satisfactory (4)
Niklas Jessen: Planned before the season as a possible backup for Bitter, the former Dortmund player saw little playing time with only six substitute appearances. His assist to Max Dittgen for the 2-2 equalizer in Cottbus (final score 2-3) gave cause for hope. He could see more playing time in the second half of the season. RS rating: satisfactory (4)
Rasim Bulic: The new signing from Regensburg immediately developed into a key player. The powerful defensive midfielder is a fixture in the double six in the 4-2-3-1 system and impresses with his strength in tackles and robust style of play. The 1.96-meter-tall, 84-kilogram defender reminds many of Goran Sukalo. Despite his uncompromising style, Bulic has only received one yellow card so far, shortly before the end of the first half of the season. He is only missing one goal. RS rating: very good minus (1-)
Seven players without a rating
Substitute goalkeepers Julius Paris and Omer Hanin each played once in the Niederrhein Cup. Ben Schlicke arrived in Duisburg in the summer with big goals and quickly issued a challenge to captain Hahn. However, the former Hachinger has only made three brief appearances in the league. In the Niederrhein Cup, the son of MSV legend Björn Schlicke played the full 90 minutes in every game, but recently showed some uncertainty in Sonsbeck. Leon Müller, one of the promotion heroes, has a long history of injuries. Hirsch thinks highly of his number six. After months on the sidelines, the unlucky player made his comeback in November and played the full 90 minutes in Cologne for the second time this season. Florian Egerer only came into focus due to the injury crisis and celebrated his 45-minute MSV third division debut at the Höhenberg sports park. Gabriel Sadlek and Moritz Montag have not yet played in the third division and have mostly not made it into the squad – their future is uncertain.
Expiring contracts: Paris, Fleckstein, Hahn, Göckan, Bitter, Montag, Egerer, Müller (until 2026), Hanin, Sadlek, Schlicke, Jessen, Bulic (until 2027), Coskun (extended until 2028), Braune (long-term extension).