Shortly before the start of the league, SpVg Schonnebeck had another highlight and, at the same time, another dress rehearsal with the promotional match against MSV Duisburg.

For Spielvereinigung Schonnebeck, the winter break finally came to an end this coming weekend. After a successful 3-1 dress rehearsal against TSG Sprockhövel on January 25, a high-caliber test opponent followed. On Tuesday evening (January 27), the second-placed team in the Oberliga Niederrhein faced MSV Duisburg and lost 0-5.

The result spoke louder than what happened on the pitch. Schonnebeck was incredibly solid defensively, especially in the first half, and made it difficult for the 3rd division leaders to create chances. They succeeded with flying colors, as there were no real threats in the first half.

Coach Dirk Tönnies was therefore extremely satisfied: “The first 60-70 minutes were very good. We had a huge chance ourselves in the first half after a corner, where an MSV player cleared the ball almost on the line. We did very well.”

In the second half, however, the “Swallows” lost their structure a little. “Then you get an unfortunate penalty to make it 0-1, but you continue to play well and courageously. The last ten minutes hurt a little because they don’t reflect what we did for the rest of the game. However, it’s by no means a setback. Most of the guys came straight from work, so it’s obvious that their energy will fade at some point,” said the Schonnebeck coach, who has been at the helm of the Swallows since November 2008.

We have something to make up for from the first leg. We want to get off to a successful start and hope for a good crowd. Derbies are always special, but we still remember the first leg well.

Dirk Tönnies

He continued: “The important thing was that we developed this aggressiveness against the ball. We did that very well in the first 60-65 minutes. That’s the basis for us to play a good second half of the season.”

Speaking of the second half of the season: The Oberliga Niederrhein continues on the weekend of February 1. With a six-point gap behind league leaders Ratingen, absolutely everything is still possible for the second half of the 25/26 season.

At Schetters Busch, Spielvereinigung welcomes DJK Adler Union Frintrop. This means that the season will kick off with a derby. “We have something to make up for from the first leg. We want to get off to a successful start and hope for a good crowd. Derbies are always something special, but we still have fond memories of the first leg. The boys have prepared well and we are looking forward to the game,” summarized Tönnies.