On Friday evening, SSVg Velbert opened the new Oberliga season at home against promoted MSV Düsseldorf. In the end, the result was a 1-1 draw.

Friday evening, floodlights. What sounds like a nice evening of football ended with a first minor setback for the SSVg Velbert team. In the opening match of the new Oberliga Niederrhein season, the promotion favourites only played to a 1-1 draw against Oberliga newcomers MSV Düsseldorf. A result with which the Sport- und Spielvereinigung was not satisfied.

Coach Dimitrios Pappas’ team started strongly. They dominated the opening phase and took the lead after just fifteen minutes through Robin Hilger. Velbert coach Pappas was also satisfied with most of the first half: “We got into the game well for the first 25 to 30 minutes, had many standards and also created many chances. We played dominantly and were always dangerous, which is how we wanted it to be. “

But after just under half an hour, the game began to tip. The guests from Düsseldorf became bolder and caused the home side a few problems. “Little by little, we kind of let the game slip away,” Pappas was annoyed afterwards. Especially after the change of ends it was an open game and both teams met on equal terms. “In the second half, we were no longer so dominant and did not become dangerous in the final third. We didn’t have any ideas,” criticised the 42-year-old. And so the shock came in injury time when substitute Ahmet Gülmez scored to make it 1-1. Afterwards, Pappas criticised in particular the incorrect allocation of the ball when the goal was conceded.

There’s not much time to get angry, though, because there’s an English week in the packed calendar of the Oberliga Niederrhein. SSVg Velbert host Cronenberger SC on Wednesday evening (10 August, 19:30) before the next home game, this time against SV Sonsbeck, on the following Sunday (14 August, 15:00). The Velbert coach, however, is confident about the upcoming tasks: “We want to continue to step on the gas and, of course, also win.