Pure ecstasy: After the 4-2 home win in the top match against SC Verl, MSV Duisburg celebrated wildly in front of the North Stand. Dietmar Hirsch singled out three players for praise in particular.

The biggest party animal on Sunday evening in the white-and-blue jersey was Rasim Bulic, who first got the team in high spirits during the huddle and, a short while later, even climbed onto the fan-led chanting platform. A party, pure emotion—and a strong performance by MSV Duisburg that left a lasting impression.

MSV played very efficiently in this top-of-the-table clash. “We struggled, but we’re extremely happy. That was a crazy game against the strongest team in the league,” said MSV coach Dietmar Hirsch after the match.

Despite limited possession, the Zebras impressed with their determination and ruthless finishing. This marks the third time this season that MSV has scored four goals. “In the first six games of the season—which we won—we were already effective; this was even more extreme,” said Hirsch. But not everything went according to plan.

Duisburg started with very high pressure, but the game plan didn’t work at all at first. It wasn’t until they took a 2-1 lead and made a few adjustments that MSV found its footing. “We actually wanted to play more defensively. But at home, the guys felt they had to press the opponent,” Hirsch explained.

The Zebras stayed compact until the end and were extremely dangerous on the counterattack. Lex-Tyger Lobinger stood out in particular. With two goals, the new signing emerged as the match-winner. “Tyger with two goals—unbelievable,” raved the coach.

The early 4–1 goal right after halftime sealed the deal, even though the 4–2 score briefly made the game more exciting again. But defensively, the hosts remained solid until the very end. Ben Schlicke, who made his first start, delivered what Hirsch called a “super solid and hard-working performance.” Niklas Jessen, who stepped in for the injured Borkowski, also impressed.

The back five thus included two players who had previously had very little playing time. “That makes me extremely proud,” said Hirsch. “The guys trained really well, even without much playing time—and then they delivered like this. But I really want to praise everyone.”

In the end, it was a perfect soccer evening for MSV—just before the next matchday and right in time for Carnival. “You only get a game like this once a season,” the coach aptly summarized.