Ratingen 04/19 wants to bounce back after a poor start to 2026. Considering their opponents, there could be worse times to do so.

The Oberliga Niederrhein had a real cracker in store for the start of 2026: VfB Hilden against Ratingen 04/19, with the league leaders losing to VfB for the second time this season after their defeat in the Niederrhein Cup. “Both defeats came about for completely different reasons. In the cup game, we weren’t on the pitch for 90 minutes. It was really different. We conceded an early goal on Friday. That put us in a difficult position right from the start, but after seven or eight minutes we took control of the game. We had more corner kicks than in any other game this season. We were in the final third a lot and had many half-chances,“ coach Damian Apfeld told Forecasting. However, he was not happy with the course of the game: ”I have to say that we scored the equalizer too late. I would have liked to see two goals. As it was, we only went into the break with a 1-1 score and simply couldn’t come back the way we had left off. We had trouble getting our game going. Small situations ultimately decided the game. Hilden got a set piece in the 76th minute, Marvin Gomoluch couldn’t parry it properly, and Len Heinson scored in the corner to win the game. All in all, it was extremely unfortunate, especially since there was very little net playing time. In the second half, it was maybe 15, 20 minutes. Then, of course, it becomes difficult at some point. That’s how a defeat like this comes about, but they are not a team to be feared,” continued the Ratingen coach. “We want to start a winning streak and show a reaction. We always did that very, very well in the first half of the season. That’s exactly what we want to do again now,” said Apfeld, who will still have to do without Jimmy Atila. “So far, my team seems very positive and very focused. I have nothing bad to report,” said the 39-year-old. He has had SC St. Tönis on his list as the top team in the Oberliga Niederrhein since the first match day. “I have great respect for them. After the 2-2 draw in the first leg, I was satisfied that we had picked up four points against two top teams after the 5-4 win against Hilden. I was ridiculed for that.”

In his view, SC St. Tönis is even stronger than last season. “With Jannis Nikolau, they have strengthened their team incredibly well and have become much more stable. They have a good mix of very experienced players, ball control, physicality, and very good individual players. They are one of the absolute top teams in the league.”