The promotion aspirants SC Verl and Rot-Weiss Essen finished goalless in the third division duel on Saturday. This doesn’t change much in the table.
The sports club, like RWE, recently suffered a setback in the promotion race. At relegation candidate TSV Havelse, a 2-0 lead was only enough for a draw. Particularly bitter: the losers conceded the 2-2 equalizer in stoppage time. Essen did it in front of his own audience 1:1 against the reserves of VfB Stuttgart Not better, but the game will still be perceived as a minor setback because Marek Janssen saved the point late with his goal shortly before the final whistle.
SC keeper Schulze prevents a deficit against Mizuta
In the home game against Essen, Verl presented himself as confident as possible in a heated duel at times, but completely failed to threaten to score. The latter was more than unusual for the league’s strongest offensive team with 42 goals. The Essen team attacked early at times and had their first chance of the game after winning the ball in the attacking third: Kaito Mizuta lobbed Tom Moustier in the penalty area – but his shot ended up in the side netting (12th minute).
At the latest after Mizuta’s free kick into the penalty area, which Tobias Kraulich headed just past the right post, the Verlers were warned (13th): the Essen team, who were only one point behind them, had arrived to push them out of the promotion zone. The biggest chance of the first half also belonged to RWE. When a deflected Moustier shot landed at Mizuta in the penalty area, he forced SC goalkeeper Philipp Schulze to make a brilliant save (25′).
His counterpart Jakob Golz, on the other hand, had a largely quiet first half. After a corner from Berkan Taz, things got hectic for a moment in the Verl penalty area when Fynn Otto stopped the ball at the far post with his chest. But two defenders prevented him from finishing (35′). Golz was also able to pull his arms back from a Taz free kick that just missed the target (41′).
Otto substituted injured after Mizuta foul
With a cross from Oualid Mhamdi in the 44th minute, Jannik Hofmann took over the defensive work for Golz with a clearing tackle. Such actions in the penalty area were no longer an issue after the break. The first excitement was a hard tackle by Mizuta against Yari Otto, for which the Japanese received a yellow card, while Otto had to be led off the pitch injured (55th).
The quality and number of shots on goal had a lot of room for improvement. Fynn Otto blocked a shot from Jannik Mause, who had just been substituted, in the penalty area (61′), and Loser Jonas Arweiler missed the target shortly afterwards without the “help” of an opposing defender (63′). Half an hour before the end of the game there was little to suggest that either team could score the winning goal.
No big changes in Promotion race by a draw
In the 73rd minute, Alessio Besio let two Essen players out in front of the penalty area, but then shot just past the left post. Essen’s Marvin Obuz’s shot was only more dangerous in that Schulze had to intercept it (79′). The losers had more offensive actions with significantly more possession of the ball, but only Essen was really dangerous in the first half: On a counterattack, Lucas Brumme served Mause, who was running along, who was unable to crown this last action of the game with Essen’s winning goal. His shot rolled harmlessly past the goal.
With a view to the promotion zone, not much has changed due to the goalless draw in the pursuit duel. Verl maintains third place thanks to his good goal difference. RWE falls two places to sixth place, but is still only two points behind second-placed MSV Duisburg.
Verl will say goodbye to the winter break next Saturday with a guest appearance at 1860 Munich (4:30 p.m.), while the Essen team will make their next attempt to advance into the promotion ranks in the home game against Kellerkind SSV Ulm (2 p.m.).
Our sources:
- Game SC Verl against Rot-Weiss Essen from December 13th, 2025
Broadcast: “Verl and Essen split goalless in a heated top game,” WDR.de from December 13th, 2025, 6:54 p.m
