Rot-Weiss Essen has won the first of two test matches against FC Augsburg. Ramien Safi was outstanding. RWE beat Bundesliga side FC Augsburg 2-1 (2-0) and sent a warning to their third-division rivals. A second friendly against Augsburg is scheduled for 5 p.m., again over 90 minutes.

In the first test match at the Dillinger Donaustadion, RWE coach Uwe Koschinat surprised everyone with his starting eleven. Despite it being a dress rehearsal, he shook things up and fielded a team that is unlikely to play together in a week’s time in the third division opener against 1860 Munich.

It quickly became clear that the visitors had no intention of hiding away against the Bundesliga side. They made their mark after just five minutes. Ramien Safi was fouled in the box after a through ball from FCA goalkeeper Finn Dahmen. However, Dominik Martinovic failed to convert the penalty, hitting the crossbar instead.

Martinovic then showed himself in a better light in the role of playmaker. After 25 minutes, he set up Safi with a dream pass. The nimble forward didn’t need to be asked twice and lobbed the ball into the net to give his side the lead. And just seven minutes later, Safi struck again, once more with a lob (32′).

However, the 2-0 lead against the Bundesliga side had a bitter aftertaste. Between the goals, youngster Nico Schulte-Kellinghaus injured his knee. The extent of the injury is still unclear. In any case, the 17-year-old was unable to continue.

U19 player Kamil Kaya replaced him and helped maintain the 2-0 lead. This score was not undeserved at half-time. In front of Patrick Glöckner, coach of opening opponents 1860 Munich, Martinovic even almost made it 3-0. After a counterattack and a pass from Safi, he hit the post (62′), the striker’s second shot to hit the woodwork.

Glöckner must also have been surprised that Koschinat opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation rather than the three-man back line he had used recently. But this system also proved effective.
It did not come from open play, but from a set piece. Keven Schlotterbeck reduced the deficit with a header from a corner (72′). Shortly afterwards, the Augsburg defender narrowly missed the equaliser. Right-back Jannik Hofmann was shown a second yellow card for a foul just outside the penalty area (81′). The new signing will not face a suspension in the league. His teammates withstood Augsburg’s pressure even with ten men and celebrated a respectable 2-1 victory.