Ratingen 04/19 is looking to bounce back after a disappointing start to 2026. Given the opponent, the timing couldn’t be worse.

The Oberliga Niederrhein kicked off 2026 with a real showstopper: VfB Hilden vs. Ratingen 04/19, with the league leaders, following their defeat in the Niederrhein Cup, leaving the field as losers against VfB for the second time this season.

“Both defeats came about for completely different reasons. In the cup match, we weren’t on the field for 90 minutes. That was really different. We conceded an early goal on Friday. That put a heavy burden on us right away, 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 plenty of half-chances,“ coach Damian Apfeld told Forecasting.

That said, he wasn’t happy with how the game unfolded: ”I have to note that we scored the equalizer too late. I would have liked to see two goals there. So we went into halftime tied 1-1 and just couldn’t pick up where we left off. We had trouble getting our game going. Small moments ultimately decided the match. Hilden got a set piece in the 76th minute, Marvin Gomoluch couldn’t make a proper save, and Len Heinson scored in the corner for the win. All in all, it was incredibly unlucky, especially since there was very little actual playing time. In the second half, it was maybe 15 or 20 minutes. Then, of course, it gets difficult at some point. That’s how a defeat like this happens, but they’re not a team we’re afraid of,” the Ratingen coach continued.

Now the loss is behind us. On Sunday, February 8, at 2:30 p.m., we face SC St. Tönis, our closest pursuer, in the top match of the Oberliga Niederrhein. “We want to start a winning streak and show a response. We always managed that very, very well in the first half of the season. That’s exactly how we want to do it again now,” says Apfeld, who will still have to do without Jimmy Atila.

“So far, my team seems very positive and very focused. I have nothing negative to report,” says the 39-year-old. He has had SC St. Tönis on his radar as a top team in the Oberliga Niederrhein since the first matchday. “I have great respect for them. After the 2-2 draw in the first leg, I was satisfied that, following the 5-4 win against Hilden, we had picked up four points against two top teams. I was laughed at for that.”

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