Rot-Weiss Essen was almost on par with Borussia Dortmund in the first round of the DFB Cup, but ultimately lost 0-1.

Third-division side Rot-Weiss Essen put up an impressive fight against the mighty BVB in the first round of the DFB Cup, but ultimately had to admit defeat 0-1 after 90 minutes in front of a sold-out crowd at the Hafenstraße stadium. A moment of genius from top striker Serhou Guirassy (79′) made the difference.

RWE head coach Uwe Koschinat made four changes to the team that played in the league match in Havelse (1-1). Jakob Golz and Jannik Hofmann, who had recovered from injury, as well as Lucas Brumme and Kaito Mizuta moved into the starting line-up, replacing Felix Wienand, Dominik Martinovic, Franci Bouebari, and Torben Müsel.

Just 30 seconds had passed when Essen’s goalkeeper was called into action for the first time. Marcel Sabitzer had the first chance for BVB with a direct shot, but Golz was on hand to save. The Black and Yellows took control of the game and enjoyed plenty of possession. Golz was called into action again in the fourth minute when Felix Nmecha tried his luck after being played in by Serhou Guirassy. After Dortmund’s strong start, the third-division side began to make their presence felt. Uwe Koschinat’s team repeatedly threatened and tried to put the visitors under pressure with quick, raiding attacks after losing possession. Ramien Safi tried to cross into the box after one of these quick counterattacks, but Waldemar Anton got in the way (23).
In the 32nd minute, Mizuta got a shot off from the back after a throw-in, but BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made the save. The Essen fans were already celebrating. At the other end, Maximilian Beier almost scored, but Golz made a superb save. The returning keeper also did well to deny Guirassy from a tight angle (36).

However, Bergeborbecker had the best chance of the first half: after a long ball from Tobias Kraulich, BVB were completely disorganized and Safi ran alone towards Kobel. But the striker’s nerves failed him and Kobel saved the Essen player’s shot (41). That should have been 1-0 for RWE!

At the start of the second half, RWE took control of the game again, had plenty of possession and kept the home side on the run. But Essen stood firm and allowed them few openings. Uwe Koschinat’s game plan, which saw his team defend very deep, worked perfectly.

Dortmund coach Niko Kovac, on the other hand, was not pleased with what he saw. So, after an hour, he brought on Julian Brandt and new signing Jobe Bellingham, two players who were supposed to provide more creativity. Brandt took a free kick from the right side of the penalty area in the 71st minute, but the national team player hit the side netting.

The game was drifting along somewhat when Dortmund finally found a gap and their individual class shone through: Guirassy was played in front of the box, held up the ball well and shot on the turn. The ball flew past Golz into the bottom right corner (79). It was a bitter blow for Essen, who couldn’t blame themselves for much. Koschinat threw everything forward in an attempt to force an equalizer and brought on three fresh attacking players in the closing stages: Martinovic, Müsel, and Owusu. In stoppage time, RWE actually appeared in the opponent’s penalty area once again, but Martinovic was denied by Mane before he could head the ball in at the far post (90+2).

Essen’s Owusu was lucky to only see yellow after a hard tackle on Yan Couto (90+5). The Brazilian appeared to be seriously injured in the incident. BVB held on to secure the result and advance to the second round despite a mixed performance, while RWE are out of the competition.