VfB Bottrop is having a good season so far as a newcomer to the Landesliga Niederrhein 2. Coach Dusan Trebaljevac is satisfied but humble.

Following its promotion to the Landesliga Niederrhein 2, VfB Bottrop continues to perform well. Coach Dusan Trebaljevac’s team is currently fourth in the table with 17 points from nine games. The team has only been defeated by the league leaders from Budberg and PSV Wesel-Lackhausen.

“We put together a completely new team after promotion. To play such a season as a promoted team is, of course, extraordinary. As a coaching team, we are naturally very satisfied. For everyone in Bottrop who knows where we come from, this is also a great start,” says Trebaljevac, summing up the start of the season.

At the start of the season, the goal for the newly promoted team from Bottrop was to avoid relegation. Even though his team is currently in fourth place, the 38-year-old does not want to change the season’s goal and emphasizes: “Of course, we will try to maintain this momentum. But our opponents are also strong and do their job week in, week out. For us, it’s about continuity so that the club can plan for the new season as early as possible. But we also know that things can change very quickly in soccer.”

Looking at the goal difference, it is striking that Bottrop has by far the best defense in the league. In nine games, Bottrop goalkeeper Joel-Andre Frenzel has only had to pick the ball out of the net seven times.

For Trebaljevac, this strong defense is no coincidence: “That’s my view of soccer. The game starts with an organized defense, but for us that starts right up front. However, we don’t play timid soccer; we play courageously going forward, with a certain amount of security at the back.”

However, it is also true that Bottrop have scored the fewest goals of the top ten teams. One player who ensures that the offense is at least partially functioning is Enes Bilgin. The 23-year-old striker has scored four of Bottrop’s 13 goals and has earned special praise from his coach:

“He’s a player who always gives his all for the team. He comes in with a lot of pace and always gives his best. Enes could have scored even more goals, though. In the last game against Lowick, he had the chance to decide the game. But I’m sure that all the guys up front will soon break their duck and we’ll score more goals again.”