Ecstasy in Lausitz: Thanks to a very late goal from top scorer Tolcay Cigerci, Energie Cottbus beat MSV Duisburg and took the lead in the 3rd league.
- Energie Cottbus wins the top game against Duisburg 3:2 (1:0)
- The Lausitzers replace their opponents as league leaders
- After a 2-0 lead, the FCE first had to accept the late equalizer
- Top scorer Tolcay Cigerci secured the celebrated victory in stoppage time
Energy Cottbus is the new leader of the 3rd football league. The Lausitz team prevailed in a dramatic top game against the previous leaders MSV Duisburg 3:2 (1:0) on Saturday afternoon. Erik Engelhardt (11th minute) and Merveille Biankadi (47th) gave FCE the lead. However, after two late Duisburg goals from Simon Straudi (80th/own goal) and Max Dittgen (89th), it looked as if Cottbus had given up the victory. But Tolcay Cigerci caused late ecstasy in the Leag Energie Stadium.
The course of the game
The FCE started the game strongly. The second-placed team pushed the first team into their own half, almost always had the ball and had their first big chance in the sixth minute: After a cross, Moritz Hannemann headed it to top scorer Tolcay Cigerci, who was denied from ten meters by MSV keeper Maximilian Braune, who made a brilliant save. Duisburg seemed impressed and even overwhelmed at times by the Lausitz team’s intense, fast-paced game.
So it was well deserved that FCE took the lead in the 11th minute. Again things went too fast for MSV when the ball got to Erik Engelhardt via Cigerci and Merveille Biankadi. The striker scored his eleventh goal of the season from a half-left position to make it 1-0. This time Braune had no chance of defending when he shot at the near corner. “I think it’s the best game we’ve played this season so far,” said defender Henry Rorig – who was recently ill – in a half-time interview with rbb.
Captain Axel Borgmann almost made it 2-0 with a volley after a good 20 minutes. For the Duisburg team it took until the 25th minute before Mert Göçkan even fired the first shot towards the Cottbus goal. In the period that followed, MSV got into the game at least a little better. However, there were still no clear opportunities. Things got toughest for FCE in the 43rd minute when the guests demanded a penalty because Lukas Michelbrink slightly hit his opponent on the foot in the penalty area. However, the whistle didn’t blow.
After the break, things got off to a perfect start again for the Cottbus team – and that because MSV defender Tobias Fleckstein made a serious mistake. He allowed the ball to be stolen from him in the penalty area by Biankadi, who scored from an unmarked shot to make it 2-0 for the Lausitz team. Duisburg’s comeback plan had suffered a severe setback and yet the guests now took the initiative. They repeatedly came dangerously in front of the goal, but either FCE keeper Marius Funk (50th, against Thilo Töpken) made a save or the defense threw itself into the ball.
Cottbus was now increasingly pushed into its own half, but remained dangerous even through sporadic counterattacks. Just like in the 57th minute, when only the next strong reflex from MSV goalkeeper Braune prevented Biankadi from scoring a brace. Or in the 79th minute, when substitute Timmy Thiele shot past the goal from a free-standing shot on the left.
While the FCE missed the preliminary decision, Duisburg scored a well-deserved goal. Simon Straudi unfortunately slipped the ball into his own goal after a cross to make it 1-2 (80′). When Max Dittgen equalized 2-2 a minute before the end, the victory and the league lead still seemed to be gone (89′). However, Tolcay Cigerci’s next big appearance followed: In the last minute of stoppage time, he fantastically chipped the ball into the Duisburg goal to make it 3-2 for FCE.
Energie Cottbus celebrates the last-minute winning goal against MSV Duisburg. / imago images/Steffen Beyer
Player of the game
… on a day when many Cottbus residents were impressed, it can only be Tolcay Cigerci. When after the Duisburg comeback there was no longer much to suggest a victory for the Lausitz team, it was once again the exceptional quality of the top scorer that made the difference. His twelfth goal of the season was – once again – one of the brand’s most worth seeing and proves what has long been clear: the 30-year-old’s artificial shots are not a matter of chance, but of skill.
Countable
- Energie Cottbus (35) now leads the table with a three-point lead over MSV Duisburg (32). Third is SC Verl (31).
- Cottbus stands for spectacle: It was the third 3-2 win in a row for the FCE.
- It was Tolcay Cigerci’s twelfth goal of the season. He therefore leads the top scorer list in the 3rd league together with Lars Gindorf from Aachen. The Cottbus offensive player also has six assists.
Voices about the game
Claus-Dieter Wollitz (coach Energie Cottbus): “We played a big part in making it so exciting today. We actually had a lot of things under control until the 1:2 and had the opportunity to make it 3-0 twice. We didn’t do that. Then it’s clear that if the goal is scored, the opponent risks everything. (…) At 2:2 you think: ‘Let’s go out with the point!’ I had the feeling that we were a bit nervous. But then comes this one move. (…) I think we played a really good football game today, at least at times.”
Tolcay Cigerci (winning goal scorer Energie Cottbus): “It was very tiring – also mentally. We played a very good first half, deservedly took the lead and dominated the game. We actually gave it away easily in the second half. With the long balls from Duisburg, it was a very nasty game at the back. We allowed ourselves to be pushed into the back. We then hoped that we would get in front of the goal again and were lucky that we scored. (…) We didn’t just score in this game showed what we can do, that we not only want to play good football, but can also fight.”
Broadcast: rbb Brandenburg, December 6th, 2025, 1:55 p.m., the live broadcast to watch
