As of: December 7, 2025 7:18 p.m
The third division footballers from Hansa Rostock missed the jump to fourth place in a wild game. Despite a lead goal in stoppage time, they conceded the equalizer against Alemannia Aachen on Sunday and were unable to get beyond 2:2 (1:1).
Actually, all Hansa fans were already up in arms because Emil Holten had scored Rostock’s supposed winning goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time, but with the last action of the game the guests managed to equalize. Ultimately it was deserved because the Aachen team played outnumbered for around 90 minutes and fought self-sacrificingly.
Referee Daniel Bartnitzki also caused a lot of discussion, as he made two decisions – one tough and one clearly wrong – that swung the pendulum in favor of the Hanseatic League for a long time. The sending off of Aachen’s Danilo Wiebe was highly debatable, the hand penalty for Hansa’s equalizer was simply a wrong decision.
Contact the promotion places
After the eighth game without defeat, coach Daniel Brinkmann’s team is still sixth in the table and is at least within striking distance of the promotion places: they have three points in third place. Next Saturday (2 p.m., in the NDR Livecenter) the North Germans will be visiting VfB Stuttgart II. But then without Florian Carstens, who saw his fifth yellow card against Aachen.
Hard red card for Aachens Wiebe
Not much happened on the pitch for ten minutes, then referee Bartnitzki caused a stir for the first time. After a long ball to the top, Rostock attacker Andreas Voglsammer was pushed away by his opponent Wiebe – to the horror of the Aachen team and to great cheers from the Hansa supporters, Bartnitzki showed the ex-Braunschweiger the red card (11th).
A hard and difficult decision to understand: the ball first hit Wiebe’s back, then his upper arm – there could be no question of an intentional handball, let alone a foul.
Loune scores after Carsten’s mistake
However, the Aachen team were by no means shocked by being outnumbered and had the first great chance of the game in the 17th minute: Faton Ademi’s cross pass in the penalty area to Pierre Nadjombe, who was ready to shoot, was cleared by Viktor Bergh at the last moment. Hansa, on the other hand, had a hard time and only became more dominant and compelling in their offensive actions after about half an hour.
But right in the middle of this better phase, the home team handed out a belated Santa Claus gift: Carstens played a catastrophic bad pass from the left side into his own box, where Mehdi Loune got the ball in front of Hansa keeper Benjamin Uphoff and slotted in to give the visitors the lead (34th).
Hansa happily equalizes with a hand penalty
The Rostock team continued to struggle and increased the pressure: But Aachen’s goalkeeper Jan Olschowsky twice prevented Christian Kinsombi (37′) and Voglsammer (45’+1) from making it 1-1. Alemannia almost increased it to 2-0, but Mika Schroers miserably missed the huge chance single-handedly, Uphoff was there (45th + 2).
Instead of the half-time whistle, referee Bartnitzki whistled for a penalty shortly afterwards – this time a clear wrong decision: Aachen’s Joel da Silva Kiala got the ball on his head outside the penalty area, Bartnitzki opted for a handball… – Kenan Fatkic didn’t care, he safely converted to equalize (45th + 4).
Emotional rollercoaster in injury time
The second half began with Hansa chances almost every minute, but neither substitute Ahmet Gürleyen (50′), nor Ryan Naderi (52′, 57′), Fatkic (54′) or Benno Dietze (59′) put the ball in the goal. Rostock restricted Alemannia, had almost 75 percent of the ball, and the opening goal was only a matter of time.
When Holten, who had previously missed two clear chances (75th, 78th), nodded in a cross from Marco Schuster for the supposed winning goal, the home win seemed to be secured (90th + 5). But the former Hansa professional Bentley-Baxter Bahn hit another cross into the penalty area, Lukas Scepanik headed it across to Ademi, who artistically scored the equalizer that was no longer thought possible (90th + 10th).
17th matchday, December 7th, 2025 4:30 p.m
Uphoff – Mejdr (46th Neidhart), Carstens (46th Gürleyen), Pfanne, Bergh – Dietze (76th Lebeau), M. Schuster, Fatkic – C. Kinsombi (60th Krauß) – Voglsammer (70th Holten), Naderi
2
Olschowsky – Wiebe, Wegmann (55th Meyer), da Silva Kiala – Nadjombe (90th Strujic), M. Loune (65th Richter), Ademi, Scepanik – Bahn, Schroers (90th Wriedt) – Gindorf (89th Elekwa)
2
Goals
- 0:1 M. Loune (34.)
- 1:1 Fatkic (45th +4, hand penalty)
- 2:1 Holten (90. +5)
- 2:2 Ademi (90. +10)
More information about the game