Third division side Rot-Weiss Essen won 2:0 at SV Waldhof Mannheim. Sascha Voelcke played through and was delighted with the away win.

Rot-Weiss Essen remained unbeaten in the 3rd division for the fifth time in a row. The traditional club from Hafenstrasse won 2:0 (1:0) at SV Waldhof Mannheim on Sunday afternoon and moved further up the table.

Sascha Voelcke started for the first time in 2024 (league only) at the Carl-Benz Stadium and was allowed to play the full 95 minutes. The 22-year-old played a committed game and was directly involved in several attacking moves in the first half. In the course of the second half, Voelcke also improved his defensive work and delivered a good performance overall.

The Hamburg-born defender was correspondingly happy during the interview in the catacombs after the final whistle: “I was told during the training week that I would be in the starting eleven. Of course, I was really looking forward to it. I was really pleased that I was able to play the full game. It was a great game. I felt comfortable in both halves. Both in the first half in the back five, but also at left-back at the end. Those are the positions I prefer to play.”

Shortly before the end of an even first half, RWE took the lead through the strong Torben Müsel (41′). Mannheim pressed for the equalizer in the second 45 minutes and played with a lot of energy and commitment. With the necessary bit of luck, a very good Jakob Golz and a passionate defensive performance, RWE kept a clean sheet at the back. Leonardo Vonic then scored in the 89th minute to make the final score 2:0.

Voelcke was delighted with the hard-fought victory: “We expected a tough, nasty game, and that’s exactly what happened. We then put the lid on it with the substitution of Leo Vonic. It was important that we all pushed our limits and got stuck into every duel. “

I got hit in the head with something from the block. It looked like a lighter, at least it was on the pitch next to me. For me, it’s not part of soccer that you have to be afraid of having a lighter thrown at you in the corner.

Sascha Voelcke

After Vonic had made it 2:0, the left-footer from Essen was the unwitting protagonist of an unpleasant scene: Voelcke was hit by a projectile and slumped to the ground. The game was briefly interrupted, but he was able to play on and finish the match.

“I got hit in the head with something from the block. It looked like a lighter, at least it was on the pitch next to me. For me, it’s not part of soccer that you have to be afraid of having a lighter thrown at you in the corner. In my opinion, that’s not right at all, but fortunately everything is okay,” explained the 22-year-old afterwards.

Rot-Weiss Essen continue their campaign on Wednesday evening (April 24, 7 p.m.) with an away match at direct rivals 1. FC Saarbrücken. Voelcke is aiming for the sixth unbeaten game in a row: “An English week is always exhausting, but that’s part of soccer. We will prepare well. “