The top match between EneFortuna Cologne crushes Wuppertaler SV — Gladbach off to a blistering start
Fortuna Cologne had no trouble with Wuppertaler SV, while Borussia Mönchengladbach II won at Fortuna Düsseldorf II.
Fortuna Cologne kicked off Matchday 18 of the Regionalliga West with a comfortable 3-0 home win against Wuppertaler SV, entering 2026 as the league leaders.
In an uneventful first half, it was Kevin Brechmann who put the home team on the path to victory with a long-range shot shortly before halftime. Eighteen-year-old Fotios Adamidis, who surprisingly started in goal in place of Michael Luyambula, was powerless to stop it.
Cologne continued to take the initiative after the break, but their play was mostly lacking in conviction. Their crosses were rarely on target. It wasn’t until the final quarter-hour that the league leaders pulled away: Enzo Wirtz scored his 11th goal of the season from just under 16 meters to make it 2–0, and David Haider finally sealed the 3–0 victory after a cross from substitute Jonas Michelbrink.
Fortuna Cologne now sits atop the standings with 37 points, though Schalke II (33 points), Rot-Weiß Oberhausen (33), and FC Gütersloh (32)—who face off on Saturday—have each played one fewer game.
Fortuna Cologne: Winkler – Afamefuna (84. Derbali), Fünger, Haider, Garcia, Geerkens, Strauch, Thier (77. Michelbrink), Garcia (77. Stanilewicz), Bornemann (62′ Al Ghaddioui), Brechmann (84′ Statovci), Wirtz
Wuppertaler SV: Adamidis – Nishimura, Hartmann, Bielitza, Miyamoto – Rebronja, Müller (69′ Arabaci), Aydogan, Bouzraa, Oostwoud (59′ Wagemann), Kamo (59. Kleiner)
Goals: 1:0 Brechmann (43.), 2:0 Wirtz (76.), 3:0 Haider (80.)
Fortuna Düsseldorf II – Borussia Mönchengladbach II 1:3 (1:3)
Borussia Mönchengladbach’s reserve team won 3:1 (3:1) at Fortuna Düsseldorf II thanks to a lightning-fast start.
Lion Schweers (1st) off a corner kick, Fritz Fleck (7th) following a Düsseldorf mistake, and Kilian Sauck (11th) with a curling shot ensured that the young Foals were already leading 3:0 after just under a quarter of an hour.
Hamza Anhari did score an early goal to cut the lead (27th minute), but it didn’t seem to have much of an effect at first. Fortuna worked toward a second goal in the second half, but they weren’t aggressive enough. Just shy of an hour into the game, Deniz Bindermann had the best chance when he stepped up to take a penalty for a handball—but the outstanding Maximilian Neutgens made the save.
The score remained 1–3, leaving Düsseldorf stuck near the bottom of the table. Gladbach, on the other hand, stays in contention at the top.
Fortuna Düsseldorf II: Czako – Vu (86. Zentler), Brodersen, Egouli, Mirgartz (86. Tönnies), Latza, Savic (34. Nikolaou), Affo, Bindemann (71. Garlipp), Anhari, Quiala Tito
Borussia Mönchengladbach II: Neutgens – Dasbach, Schweers (J.K. Uwakhonye), J. L. Uwakhonye, Cirpan, Fleck, Sauck (70′ Berko), Stange, Vidic, Adozi, Michaelis
The other matches of Matchday 18 in the Regionalliga West
FC Gütersloh vs. Rot-Weiß Oberhausen (Saturday, 2:00 p.m.)
FC Schalke 04 II vs. SC Wiedenbrück
SV Rödinghausen vs. Sportfreunde Siegen
1. FC Köln II vs. 1. FC Bocholt
Borussia Dortmund II vs. SC Paderborn II (4:00 p.m.)
Bonner SC – VfL Bochum II (Sunday, 2 p.m.)
Dissatisfied Stuttgart II Coach – “The crowd was very quiet”
VfB Stuttgart’s U23 team impressively demonstrated at Rot-Weiss Essen why it is one of the strongest teams in the 3. Liga.
No! VfB Stuttgart’s second team was not satisfied with the 1-1 draw at Rot-Weiss Essen. The Bundesliga club’s reserves were simply too strong and too dominant to concede a goal so late in the game.
“It was a top-notch game for us. We played it out really well and had great chances. That’s why we’re very unhappy with the 1-1 draw. We didn’t let them intimidate us and stuck to our game plan,” Mansour Ouro-Tagba told “Magenta Sport.”
The player on loan from 1. FC Köln, who had found the back of the net five times in the six games leading up to the match in Essen, caused major problems for the Red-Whites. “Yes, I had my chances. As a striker, you always think you have to keep going because the next chance will come. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to score,” said the 20-year-old Togolese national team player.
His coach wasn’t entirely satisfied with the draw in Essen either. Nico Willig summed it up: “I’m not happy with the 1-1 draw. We played a great away game. We kept the opponent away from our goal for 87 minutes. There were no critical situations in front of our net. That was strong. Unfortunately, it only lasted until the 87th minute.”
The way we played has something to do with self-confidence. The crowd was very quiet, and I think that speaks in our favor.
Nico Willig
The fact that Stuttgart played with such maturity in Essen-Bergeborbeck didn’t surprise the VfB II coach at all. The fact that the Hafenstraße “cauldron” wasn’t one that Friday evening, on the other hand, did: but the visitors made sure of that.
“The way we played has something to do with confidence. The crowd was very quiet, and I think that speaks in our favor. We just needed to be a little more effective; then next time we’ll score two goals and head home as winners,” emphasized Willig, whose talented Stuttgart squad has 26 points after 17 matchdays and trails Rot-Weiss Essen by just four points.
For VfB Stuttgart II, which is now unbeaten in three games, the remaining matches this year include a home game against Hansa Rostock and then a season-ending trip to VfL Osnabrück. It remains to be seen whether the VfB prospects can silence the crowd at the Bremer Brücke as well.
That’s why debut goal-scorer Vitalie Becker celebrated with his coach
With his debut goal, Vitalie Becker helped FC Schalke 04 secure its eleventh win of the season at Fortuna Düsseldorf. The 20-year-old thanks his coach.
Next matchday, next win, next celebration. Things couldn’t be going any better for FC Schalke 04 in the 2. Bundesliga right now. On Friday evening, the Royal Blues celebrated a 2-0 (1-0) away win at Fortuna Düsseldorf in front of 20,000 traveling fans and will thus finish Matchday 15 at the top of the table.
Vitalie Becker played a major role in this, sealing the deal in the 81st minute with his goal to make it 2–0 in a match where Fortuna Düsseldorf, despite being a man down, still had a chance to equalize.
Becker made a good run off a throw-in on the right side and received the ball on the left wing. From there, the 20-year-old cut into the penalty area, outwitted a defender, and finished like a seasoned top striker. It was the left back’s first professional goal. Notably, Becker didn’t run to the fans to celebrate, but to his coach, Miron Muslic. Why?
“I’m very grateful to him,” he told Sky, adding: “I wasn’t really on the radar before the season. The coach gave me the chance, and that’s why I wanted to thank him.”
As recently as this summer, there were rumors of a possible transfer. But Muslic wanted to keep the 20-year-old. “Something like that,” Becker laughed, explaining: “I went through preseason training, performed well, and gave it my all. He liked that, which is why things turned out the way they did.”
Just recently, the coach praised the development of the junior national team player, a process in which he’s been actively involved. Earlier this week, a video circulated on social media showing Muslic working with Becker on aerial duels and defending high balls. The coach took on the role of the opposing player.
“It’s not easy,” Becker said of Muslic, who is older but very physical. “But that’s the good thing about it—it’s close to game situations, and that helps me improve. The fact that he’s doing this is probably better because he was a forward and has a feel for how the opponent moves. That helps me a lot.”
Right now, this is also helping FC Schalke 04, which—after its eleventh win of the season—already one more than in 2024/2025—can dream of promotion. At least the fans are, because like his teammates, Becker gave the standard response: “We know things are going well. But we’re keeping our feet on the ground and taking it one game at a time.”
“An incredibly grueling game; we were dominated in many areas”
Rot-Weiss Essen fought hard to earn a lucky point against VfB Stuttgart II shortly before the final whistle. Uwe Koschinat was quite satisfied with the 1-1 draw.
16,187 spectators came to the stadium on Hafenstraße on Friday evening to watch Rot-Weiss Essen win. Okay: Maybe not the 87 fans who came from Stuttgart. They saw a strong group of young players from VfB.
The RWE fans, too, will remember such highly talented gems as Mansour Ouro-Tagba, Samuele Di Benedetto, Lauri Penna, Noah Darvich, and Efe Korkut—and may continue to follow their careers.
Because what the Stuttgart U23 team showed at Hafenstraße was truly commendable. Courageous, skillful, and dominant: that’s how Nico Willig’s team presented itself.
No wonder he had a hard time accepting the 1-1 draw. He told “Magenta Sport”: “I’m not satisfied with the 1-1. We played a great away game. For 87 minutes, we kept the opponent so far away from our goal. There were no critical situations in front of our net. That was impressive. Unfortunately, it only lasted until the 87th minute.”
That was an incredibly grueling game for us. We were outplayed in many areas. It was very exhausting for the team to constantly chase after Stuttgart during their many long stretches of possession. A point like this is definitely worth something at this stage of the season
Uwe Koschinat
Uwe Koschinat, on the other hand, was satisfied with the closing stages. Once again, he proved he had a knack for making the right substitutions by bringing on Marek Janssen. First, Ahmet Arslan missed a penalty, and in the very next play, substitute Janssen converted a cross to make it 1–1—his third goal as a substitute and Essen’s twelfth goal of the season off the bench.
Unlike Willig, Koschinat was quite content with the 1–1 draw. Even the RWE coach had to acknowledge Stuttgart’s dominance. “That was an incredibly grueling game for us. We were outplayed in many areas. It was very exhausting for the team to constantly chase after the Stuttgart players during their many long stretches of possession. A point like this is definitely worth something at this stage of the season,” Koschinat noted.
Felix Wienand, who filled in for the ailing Jakob Golz, received special praise: “He made some very strong saves in many situations. He only found out that morning that he’d be playing. That was really impressive.”
Fall champions wrap up the year against Wuppertal—best defense in the league
In the first 17 games of the Regionalliga West, Fortuna Köln lost only once and surged to first place. The winning streak began against Wuppertaler SV—their upcoming opponent.
Last weekend, Fortuna Köln capped off its strong first half of the season with a 4-0 victory over Sportfreunde Lotte, securing the fall championship of the Regionalliga West. But before the well-deserved winter break, the team from the south of the city still has one game left to play: on Friday (December 5, 7:30 p.m.), Wuppertaler SV will be the visiting team in Cologne.
Matthias Mink doesn’t want to celebrate the fall championship title too much. “You can’t buy anything with it. Still, of course, it gives us more confidence and makes us hold our heads high. None of this affects our day-to-day work, but it’s a nice snapshot,” the head coach notes. Fortuna last won the fall championship in 2013, when Uwe Koschinat—now the coach of RWE—was on the Cologne bench.
One reason for the strong season so far, with just one loss (9 wins, 7 draws), is the team’s solid defensive play. Goalkeeper Lennart Winkler has conceded only 15 goals. “I believe he’s a key factor for us, contributing to our stability and defensive cohesion. But that’s always a team effort,” explains Mink. “It’s a nice bonus for him and his goalkeeping, but overall, it’s the team that’s performing extremely well and always works very hard defensively. At times, they’ve also had the necessary luck—that’s part of it too—but looking at the 17 games as a whole, you can see that they’ve worked hard and the team has found its rhythm.”
In the season opener, Fortuna secured its first points of the season with a 2–0 victory at the Stadion am Zoo and will start as the favorite against Wuppertal, which is threatened with relegation. “We’re aware of their strengths in transition play; they possess incredible speed. It’s a team that plays soccer with great passion and puts in a lot of running,” warns Mink, who clearly wants to end the year with a win. “We know what to expect and are prepared. Needless to say, we want to win this first game of the second half of the season—especially this home game on a Friday night.”
After the final game of the first half of the season, the team will first undergo performance testing on Monday (December 8) before the pros head off on vacation. They’ll then reconvene in the new year according to individual plans. Training is set to resume on January 4.
Former Siegen Coach to 1. FC Bocholt? – “A Very Interesting Prospect”
1. FC Bocholt is looking for a new head coach. One name being considered is Thorsten Nehrbauer, former coach of Sportfreunde Siegen.
Following Christopher Schorch’s resignation as head coach of 1. FC Bocholt, the club is searching for a new coach. Thorsten Nehrbauer, former coach of Sportfreunde Siegen, could be a candidate for the coaching position at the team currently ranked tenth in the Regionalliga West.
In addition to Nehrbauer, other names are being mentioned at Hünting. According to information from this editorial team, other leading candidates include Lars Fleischer, former assistant coach of Rot-Weiss Essen, and Farat Toku, formerly of SV Rödinghausen—as reported by Forecasting.
At the end of October this year, Sportfreunde Siegen parted ways with successful coach Nehrbauer, who led the club to the fourth division during the 2024–25 season. Shortly thereafter, Siegen introduced former MSV coach Boris Schommers as their new head coach.
The decision to dismiss Nehrbauer was met with confusion by many fans and observers. Nehrbauer himself, however, has already put the matter completely behind him and has nothing to reproach himself for—neither on the field, professionally, nor personally.
For me and many other coaches, Bocholt is nevertheless a very interesting opportunity because they have developed exceptionally well in recent years and intend to continue their sustainable growth in the future
Thorsten Nehrbauer
“After my very surprising departure from Sportfreunde Siegen, I first focused on taking care of my physical well-being. Anyone who knows me knows that I always give 120 percent, and as a result, some things—such as proper nutrition and physical fitness—sometimes get neglected,” Nehrbauer revealed. “At the end of the day, it’s not just important for the players to be fit—the coach has to be, too.”
The 47-year-old coach went on to explain that he wants to be back on the sidelines in the near future and is ready for a new role with an ambitious Regionalliga club. Regarding the rumors surrounding 1. FC Bocholt, Nehrbauer said that while no talks had taken place yet, he had already noticed that his name was being mentioned in this context.
“Of course, at the end of the day, it’s always nice and exciting when such rumors circulate, but so far there has been absolutely no contact,” Nehrbauer emphasized. “For me and many other coaches, Bocholt is nevertheless a very interesting prospect because they’ve developed exceptionally well in recent years and intend to continue growing sustainably in the future. They’ve built up a solid infrastructure and done a great job overall, so it’s a very interesting option.”
It remains to be seen whether Nehrbauer will ultimately take over the coaching position at Hünting or if the club will choose someone else. The fact is, however, that a coach with his profile is unlikely to remain on the market for very long.
Joint Statement on Safety and Fan Culture
The North Rhine-Westphalia clubs from Cologne, Bochum, and Gelsenkirchen are calling on policymakers to find joint solutions regarding stadium safety. The three clubs reject collective penalties.