Third division club Rot-Weiss Essen are preparing for the derby against MSV Duisburg on April 7. It remains to be seen who will line up at right-back.
The strange cancellation of Rot-Weiss Essen’s away match at 1. FC Saarbrücken has caused a lot of upheaval for the Essen team.
The training program for the current week had to be changed and the preparation for the derby against MSV Duisburg was also massively influenced by this decision of the DFB. RWE will have to do without Ron Berlinski and Andreas Wiegel against the Zebras, who under normal circumstances would have served their suspensions in Saarbrücken.
Wiegel’s absence is particularly bitter. The former Duisburg player has been in the starting eleven for the last six games and is currently the only fit right-back. As a reminder: Eric Voufack and Sandro Plechaty are both out injured. Mustafa Kourouma would actually be an alternative, having already played there several times last season, but head coach Christoph Dabrowski seems to be planning to use the 21-year-old exclusively in the center.
Dabrowski tested two other players in this position in the test match win against Ukrainian first division side NK Veres (3:1). In the first half, central defender José-Enrique Ríos Alonso played at right back, while midfielder Nils Kaiser played in the second half.
The Essen coach was pleased with Kaiser’s performance afterwards: “I liked Kaiser in that position. He’s definitely an option there. He has shown that he is capable of it.” There are definitely several points in favor of Nils Kaiser as a right-back against MSV Duisburg:
Point 1: Current form curve
Although Rot-Weiss Essen have only played eleven games in the second half of the season, Kaiser has already played more minutes than in the entire first half. This is due to the fact that he has recovered from a torn medial ligament in his knee, but above all to the performances he has put in since coming on as a substitute.
The 22-year-old often brought a breath of fresh air and livened up Essen’s play. He scored his first third league goal against SC Freiburg’s U23s and also made his first assist in the win in Regensburg. Most recently, the central midfielder was even substituted ahead of veteran Thomas Eisfeld against BVB II. Perhaps now is the time for Kaiser to make his presence felt from the start.
Point 2: Technical strengths/great motivation
Because RWE sometimes build up defensively with a lot of risk, you need technically well-trained players for this style of play who can also hold onto the ball under pressure. Kaiser’s strengths are definitely his technical skills and his passing ability. As a home-grown Essen player, the 22-year-old would naturally be extremely motivated to make his starting eleven debut in the derby against MSV. He would be up against a strong opponent in Niklas Kölle. That would be a real test.
Point 3: Situation in central defense
In the first half, Dabrowski tested Ríos Alonso in the right-back position. However, the Essen regular is set in the center alongside defensive boss Felix Götze. It is highly unlikely that the coach will tear apart the central defense in such an important game. The only option would be a back three with Ríos Alonso, Götze and Kourouma. However, this option was not tried out in the test match