2nd Bundesliga: Rot-Weiß Essen beats Fürth in the relegation first leg

Thanks to Müsel’s dream goal

Rot-Weiß Essen has opened the door to their return to the second division after 20 years. At Hafenstrasse, the Essen team won the relegation first leg against SpVgg Fürth 1-0. Torben Müsel scored the golden goal of the evening with a remarkable free kick in the 62nd minute. The decision will be made on Tuesday in Ronhof.

“A cauldron awaits us,” Fürth coach Heiko Vogel said before the game. And he was right. Cheered on by their enthusiastic fans, the Essen team’s desire for the second division was immediately noticeable. The hosts were committed to the duels and played extremely physical. However, Fürth had the first chances to score. RWE goalkeeper Jakob Golz punched a free kick from Felix Klaus out of the penalty area, and the crossbar wobbled when Jannik Dehm hit a long-range shot. Fürth’s second division top scorer Noel Futkeu, who was born in Essen, narrowly missed the goal with an overhead kick.

Legendary coach Otto Rehhagel, who once played for Essen, and the other spectators in the stands saw a balanced game characterized by duels. Many duels at the limit of what is permitted or beyond it showed how much is at stake. Numerous interruptions and discussions prevented any real flow of the game at times. Koschinat and Vogel also joined in the emotional debate.

The style of the game did not change after the break. The guests initially had the better finishing situations. When captain Branimir Hrgota’s powerful shot hit, Golz was once again on target. His counterpart then involuntarily gave Essen the first chance. Fürth keeper Silas Prurock played the ball into Müsel’s foot, but made up for his mistake with a save. Shortly afterwards, Müsel caused the stadium to shake. The 26-year-old curled a very impressive free kick into the corner and was celebrated.