Rot-Weiss Essen had redemption on their agenda. RWE welcomed TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s second team and put smiles on everyone’s faces with a 3-1 win.

After violating their own principles, as Uwe Koschinat described after the 1-6 defeat against Waldhof Mannheim, Rot-Weiss Essen welcomed TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s second team during the English week.

Rot-Weiss had a lot to make up for with their fans against the fourth-placed team. They managed to do so, thanks in particular to Jannik Mause’s brace. RWE won 3-1.

In the first 15 minutes, it was clear that the Rot-Weiss players were still reeling from the 1-6 debacle at Waldhof Mannheim. “After the game, none of us could believe what had just happened,” explained José-Enrique Rios Alonso.

The unlucky player from the weekend (one own goal, one deflected goal) was all the more relieved about the overall convincing performance against TSG: “We knew from the start what a strong team Hoffenheim is. In terms of soccer, they were certainly the most difficult opponent we’ve had so far. That’s why we came up with a plan beforehand, which worked out very well for us. We did very well defensively and were efficient up front.”

Mause was particularly efficient, scoring his first two goals for Rot-Weiss in his sixth attempt—and very important ones at that. His teammate was particularly happy for him: “Mause has settled in really well here and is a really cool guy. He needed some time to get going, but he helped us a lot even without scoring. Today, he finally got his reward. That’s why you sign a striker for games like this.”

Goals in true striker fashion will probably also be needed against Erzgebirge Aue on Sunday (1:30 p.m.). After the debacle against Mannheim and the 3-1 win over TSG, RWE is in the midst of a turbulent English week. Recently, good performances by the team have been followed by equally bad ones.

What can be taken away from these two games? Rios Alonso provides the answer: “Defensively and offensively, there’s a lot to take away. We were very stable. Our transitions were great and we didn’t have as many unnecessary turnovers as we did against Mannheim.”

Another positive aspect was the consistency in Essen’s play. After the first 15 minutes, Rot-Weiss was aggressive in the tackles and determined going forward – attributes that were not always evident over the full 90 minutes. Rios Alonso wants to see the same approach in Aue: “If we are alert, strong defensively and make the most of our transitions, I am confident that we can get the job done in Aue.”