Fifth competitive win in a row – MSV Duisburg won 1-0 against 1. FC Düren on matchday 12 of the Regionalliga West and remains in contention at the top of the table.

MSV Duisburg celebrated a 1-0 (0-0) home win against 1. FC Düren on the 12th matchday of the Regionalliga West and remains in touch with the top of the table. The only goal was scored by FCD defender Viktor Miftaraj, who put the ball into his own net (47′).

In front of 13,087 spectators, the Zebras started strongly against their visitors from Düren, who played defensively with a back five, after four consecutive wins in competitive games. In the eighth minute, MSV captain Alexander Hahn rose high to meet a corner and headed just wide of the left post under pressure.

Shortly afterwards, Steffen Meuer had the chance to give Duisburg an early lead: Can Coskun crossed into the penalty area, where Gerrit Wegkamp missed, but a Düren defender played the ball straight to Meuer’s feet. However, the striker missed miserably from eight meters out (13). Tobias Fleckstein missed another good opportunity after Coskun brought the ball to the near post. However, the defensive leader shot well over the goal with his weaker left foot (32′).

Düren had previously come close for the first time through Elsamed Ramaj, who hit the side netting with a volley (29′). It seemed only a matter of time before Meiderich took the lead, but the visitors almost turned the game on its head: Rafael Garcia tried his luck with a volley from more than 20 meters out, but the ball dipped and hit the crossbar (43′). A curious highlight of the first half: Marvin Höner, assistant coach to Dietmar Hirsch, was shown a red card in the 40th minute after blocking a throw-in from Düren.

Hirsch brought on striker Malek Fakhro for the luckless Wegkamp at half-time – and saw his side get off to a dream start in the second half. Meuer popped up in the penalty area after a one-two with Joshua Bitter and played the ball into the middle. FCD defender Viktor Miftaraj tried to clear the ball away from Fakhro, but he unfortunately deflected it into his own net (47th minute) – a well-deserved lead for Duisburg.

Düren pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but MSV remained solid at the back. In a very tough second half, there were few chances for either side. In the 66th minute, Patrick Sussek took a shot from the edge of the box, but Düren’s goalkeeper Jannick Theißen was able to make another save. MSV thus secured the next three points and recorded their fifth competitive win in a row.

MSV Duisburg’s next match is an away game against 1. FC Köln’s second team (October 25, 7:30 p.m.). 1. FC Düren will face another top team in Sportfreunde Lotte (October 26, 2 p.m.).