A few days late, we present the Forecasting Team of the first half of the season in the Regionalliga West. And, of course, the Coach of the First Half of the Season.

First off: We are, of course, aware that the first matchday of the second half of the season has already taken place. But: Every year, we deliberately wait until the start of the winter break—including Matchday 18—to present the “Forecasting Team” for the first half of the Regionalliga West season a few days later.

For your information: We’re using a 3-4-3 formation—meaning: one goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders, and three forwards.

Goalkeeper

Lennart Winkler (Fortuna Köln): 18 games, 15 goals conceded, and nine shutouts! These numbers simply have to be rewarded. The 22-year-old impresses with his ability to build play, great reflexes, and solid command of the penalty area. Born in Essen, Winkler also played for several youth teams at Rot-Weiss Essen and ETB Schwarz-Weiß. He is the son of former pro Andreas Winkler, who made 81 appearances in the 2. Bundesliga and 131 in the 3. Liga.

Defense

David Kamm Al-Azzawe (Fortuna Köln): Lennart Winkler keeps a clean sheet and Al-Azzawe is the leader of Fortuna’s defense—with great success. The 33-year-old has played in 17 of 18 possible matches—he was suspended once due to a yellow card—and is a cornerstone of the team led by successful coach Matthias Mink, who has guided Fortuna to first place heading into the winter break. The fact that Fortuna has conceded only 15 goals is also largely thanks to Al-Azzawe—whether Seymour Fünger or Maximilian Fischer plays alongside him, it works very well.

Nico Klaß (Rot-Weiß Oberhausen): Klaß, who has played in 17 of 18 possible matches, is also holding things together at Rot-Weiß Oberhausen. Together with Drew Murray, Klaß forms a defensive duo every bit as strong as the Cologne pairing of Azzawe and Fischer. There are several other very good center backs in the league who could be mentioned in this position.

Ben Hüning (Borussia Dortmund II): The 21-year-old is on a strong run and has been on the field for all 18 matches. 18 games, five goals, two assists—and that as a center back!

Midfield

Dustin Willms (SF Siegen): At MSV Duisburg, Willms didn’t secure a contract extension after promotion. Good for Siegen: since joining the club, Willms has performed exactly as hoped. 18 games, nine goals, three assists—he’s the reason the Sportfreunde can keep dreaming of a march into the 3rd Division.

Paul Pöpperl (Schalke 04 II): Those who deliver in the U23s are rewarded. Pöpperl is a perfect example of this. The attacking player has already made two appearances with the pros. The 22-year-old played just last Friday night in front of 51,500 fans at Fortuna Düsseldorf and helped ensure that the Royal Blues could extend their lead at the top of the table with a 2-0 victory in the 2nd Division. “In my view, he played a solid game. He showed little nervousness; instead, he just went with the flow and did his job,” said Jakob Fimpel, pleased with his 22-year-old protégé from the U23 team, where Pöpperl scored one goal and set up three more in 16 appearances.

Yassin Ben Balla (FC Schalke 04 II): We opted for a Schalke lineup in the center of midfield. Pöpperl up front and Ben Balla as the defensive midfielder behind him. The numbers speak for themselves: 18 games, ten goals, four assists—Ben Balla is also a key reason why FC Schalke 04 II is heading into the winter break as the league’s runner-up.

Eric Gueye (Rot-Weiß Oberhausen): Rot-Weiß Oberhausen sits just behind them in the standings. Eric Gueye has played a major role in helping Oberhausen stay in the mix at the top. Like the rest of the team, he started the season slowly but finished strong, including a hat trick in the 6-0 rout in Mönchengladbach. A great winger on the left side! It’s worth noting that Fortuna Cologne’s Rafael Garcia could undoubtedly be on this list as well. The 32-year-old is also having an outstanding season—18 appearances, two goals, and eleven assists.

Attack

Eduard Probst (SV Rödinghausen): It’s hard to imagine where SV Rödinghausen would be without Probst’s goals. 17 games, 13 goals, two assists! Of the SVR’s 28 goals this season, nearly half are credited to Probst. The new coach—Dennis da Silva Félix has been suspended—will be delighted to have such a prolific striker on the roster.

Enzo Wirtz (Fortuna Köln): Fortuna Köln also has a player like this in their ranks. Enzo Wirtz, who once played for Wuppertaler SV and Rot-Weiss Essen, is delivering. 17 games, 11 goals, five assists—an impressive record for the league leaders’ striker.

Patrik Twardzik (FC Gütersloh): Patrik Twardzik or Jan Urbich—that was the question we asked ourselves. After all, Gladbach’s 21-year-old gem has scored 11 times in 11 Regionalliga appearances. But: he’s also already logged 36 minutes on the Bundesliga roster. And: eleven appearances are a bit meager for a nomination to the first-half of the season’s team. Urbich is currently suffering from mononucleosis and is out indefinitely. And Twardzik? He has been the standout player at FC Gütersloh for years. The fact that the East Westphalians are competing at the top of the table is largely thanks to the Czech-born player. The 32-year-old has 18 games, ten goals, and four assists this season.

Coach of the 2025/2026 Regionalliga West First Half:

Julian Hesse (FC Gütersloh): He deserves it! He can look back on a fantastic 2025. After all, Julian Hesse finished as runner-up behind promoted side MSV Duisburg in 2024/2025, and with FC Gütersloh, he is once again just four points behind first place in 25/26.

What makes this so special? The answer: Alongside SSVg Velbert and SC Wiedenbrück, FC Gütersloh is the only club in the Regionalliga West that does not operate under fully professional conditions. That is why FCG’s performance cannot be praised highly enough when compared to the youth teams of first- and second-division clubs as well as traditional clubs. The 36-year-old A-license holder Hesse also does the coaching job at FC Gütersloh on a part-time basis and is doing an outstanding job that cannot be praised highly enough.