Energie Cottbus left important points in the promotion race of the 3rd division and has to worry about the dream of the 2nd Bundesliga.
Against Rot-Weiss Essen, the team of coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz lost 0-1 (0: 1) after an early goal. Ramien Safi put the Esseners in the lead with a lupfer over goalkeeper Elias Bethke (3rd), the Lausitzer found no answer until the final whistle.
With the defeat, Cottbus lost second place in the DFB Cup finalist Arminia Bielefeld, who won Wiesbaden on Tuesday evening (4: 2). But the relegation place three is also anything but safe: the 1. FC Saarbrücken is tied behind the Cottbusers.
Dynamo Dresden could not further expand the lead.
With a 2: 2 (1: 1) draw against FC Ingolstadt, the Dresdeners are still four points before second place. In the event of a tie, however, Dresden would have a significantly better goal difference.