Rot-Weiß Oberhausen hosts VfL Bochum II on Sunday. RWO aims to climb further up the standings with a win.
Things have been running like clockwork for Rot-Weiß Oberhausen in recent weeks. Including their cup upset over Rot-Weiss Essen, they’ve suffered just one loss in eleven games.
And on the most recent Regionalliga West matchday, RWO pulled off another incredible feat: Despite being a man down and trailing 1–2 until the 90th minute, the Kleeblätter managed to celebrate a 3–2 victory at the Stadion am Zoo. They’re currently six points behind first place, sitting in sixth place in the standings.
“The joy was immense. It was a very special game that we turned around while down a man. But still, we need to put that game behind us quickly and look ahead. Wuppertal also serves as a warning sign. Because looking at the standings, we were the clear favorites. But the league is tight. That also applies to this coming weekend,” says Sebastian Gunkel.
The Oberhausen coach is thinking ahead to Sunday’s match (November 9, 2 p.m.) against VfL Bochum’s U21 team.
We’re still not scoring enough goals. Our midfielders and forwards are working very hard for the team. Maybe we’re lacking a bit of energy when it comes to finishing. We need to keep working on that. But I’d also like to emphasize here that I’m satisfied with the guys.
Sebastian Gunkel
“I actually really like VfL. I think they’ve been beaten more than they deserve so far and would have deserved more points. We’re definitely well prepared and also on our guard,” emphasizes Gunkel, who will only be without the suspended Drew Murray and Simon Ludwig. “On top of that, we have a few players who are nursing injuries. I hope that things will turn out for the best over this long week and that the guys will be ready to play on Sunday,” adds Gunkel.
After 14 games, the Oberhausen team has 24 points and a goal differential of 18:17. It’s clear where the problem lies. Gunkel: “We’re still not scoring enough goals. Our midfielders and forwards work very hard for the team. Maybe we’re lacking a bit of energy when it comes to finishing. We need to keep working on that. But I’d also like to emphasize at this point that I’m satisfied with the guys.”
The 50-year-old Gunkel surely knows that he has a forward in his ranks in Christopher Schepp who just needs to “break out of his slump.” Schepp, who transferred from SV Meppen to Rot-Weiß Oberhausen in the summer of 2025, scored a whopping 25 goals in 69 games during his two years at SVM. At RWO, the 1.92-meter-tall striker is still waiting for his first goal after 15 competitive matches. Maybe it’ll happen on Sunday against Bochum.
