Third division team Energie Cottbus manages to score again after three defeats in a row. The Lausitzer keep the connection in the promotion race. Due to the victory against Viktoria Köln, Cottbus temporarily moves to the relegation place.
- Timmy Thiele hits victory in the 47th minute
- Energie Cottbus wins again after a dull of three defeats
- Cottbus is on the relegation place
The footballers from FC Energie Cottbus won on the 34th matchday of the 3rd league against Viktoria Cologne. On Saturday afternoon, Claus-Dieter Wollitz’s team won 1-0 (0-0). The Cottbuser thus collect important points (58) in the promotion race and push themselves past Saarbrücken (56) to third place. Saarbrücken welcomes the leaders Dynamo Dresden on Sunday.
Energie Cottbus expects Viktoria Köln a very crucial examination
It wasn’t long ago that Energie Cottbus was the leader in the 3rd league. In the meantime, the Wollitz team is only fourth, the promotion far away. Against Viktoria Cologne there is probably the last chance to get into the race. By Andreas Friebelmore
The course of the game
The game control was clearly with the guests at the beginning, even though they were up Two of their top players do without had to. The Viktoria players went through the Cottbus rows with a certain ease, while the Wollitz team stumbled their conquered balls several times. After a corner that ex-cottbuser Tobias Eisenhuth performed, Donny Bogicevic Yannik Möker hit her arm from a short distance. The Cologne team vehemently demanded a penalty, which referee Assad Nouhoum did not give (16th).
Lucas Copado initiated the best Cottbus chance to date with a sprint over the right side. The 21-year-old played in the middle of Tolcay Cigerci, who missed the ball. Niko Bretschneider, who was running along, tried his luck with two shots – without success (28th). After that, Cottbus was much more present. Shortly before the break, Cigerci staged Axel Borgmann again. However, the FCE captain was stopped by Lars Dietz with a tackle (44th).
After the break, it suddenly went very simply: the ball came to Timmy Thiele in the sixteen via Cigerci and Möker. Thiele pressed his left foot from eight meters into the far corner to 1-0 (47th). Cologne’s goalkeeper Dudu got significantly more to do due to the oppressive Cottbus offensive. Wollitz brought Erik Engelhardt and Maximilian Krauss for Thiele and Copado (65th). Viktoria acted safer again in the final phase and worked. But Cottbus defended safely and tried to expand the tour. None of the teams put the ball in the goal.
The fans of Energie Cottbus protest before the game against Viktoria Cologne with banners against association penalties
Protests before the start of the game
Before the game, the organized fan scene of the Cottbusers protested with banners against association penalties. Already on the last weekend, several fan scenes, including those of Union Berlin and Hertha BSC, had drawn attention to the concern. On the banners in the north wall “Penalties don’t ignite!” And “Shit is not the torch! Abolish association penalties now!”.
Background: In January, numerous clubs from the NOFV had the Abolition of association penalties when using pyrotechnics required in the stadium. It was specifically about pyrotechnics that are not used against people or thrown on the field. The clubs and fan scenes justify their concerns primarily with the fact that the punishments would lead to more and more economic problems with some clubs and thus deter their competitiveness. The past few years have also shown that association penalties did not mean that less pyrotechnics are burned down in the stadiums.
Player of the game
Anyone who breaks the bankruptcy series deserves the title. Timmy Thiele not only scored the decisive goal, but also took the entire audience with him. The 33-year-old not only encouraged his teammates in the first half, but also the 13,748 spectators. They recorded the energy of their top goal shooter after the caught start of the game and ensured the extra motivation boost.
“Pele Wollitz is very important to me”
At Energie Cottbus, Tobias Eisenhuth became a soccer professional from the youth player. Now he returns to his old homeland with Viktoria Cologne and speaks before the duel about his old teacher Wollitz, new experiences and the Lusatian high.more
Voices to the game
Claus Dieter Wollitz (Trainer Energie Cottbus): “It was a closed team. It was noticed with the 1-0 that we had our footballing conviction again. […] Together with the audience, we defended the 1-0 today. “
Marian Wilhelm (assistant coach Viktoria Cologne): “We wanted to invest 90 minutes in every minute today. The boys did that. That wasn’t enough today.”
Timmy Thiele (Energie Cottbus): “It is always a nice feeling when you hit as a striker. It was very important for us to take the lead after the last few weeks. We made that. Big compliment to the team. Today we had a great attitude, great passion, cohesion. This is now important to put it on the record in the next few weeks.”
The game for reading in the ticker
Broadcast: RBB24 Brandenburg Aktuell, April 19, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
