Third league
As of: March 3, 2026 9:45 p.m
VfL Osnabrück took another step towards promotion on Tuesday. With the 2-0 (2-0) win against Viktoria Köln, the purple-whites defended the top of the table in the third league.
After the early lead by Robin Meißner (5th), David Kopacz scored a dream goal with a backheel (42nd). A well-deserved victory in front of 14,382 fans at the Bremer Bridge.
The Lower Saxony team have now been unbeaten for eight games and are still in first place thanks to their better goal difference compared to Energie Cottbus. On Saturday VfL continues their game at Jahn Regensburg (4.30 p.m. in the NDR Livecenter).
Coach Schultz: “I know we are stable”
“I always have a good feeling when we go into the game. I know that we are stable. We consistently play at a high level and the outliers are more upwards than downwards,” said a satisfied VfL coach Timo Schultz to NDR. “Many players went the extra meters defensively, so we kept a clean sheet for the fourteenth time.”
VfL with a dream start
Osnabrück got off to a lightning start even without the suspended midfield driver Lars Kehl, who last saw his fifth yellow card in the 3-1 win at Erzgebirge Aue. After fine preparatory work by Ismail Badjie on the right wing, Meißner finished in the middle to make it 1-0 (5th). Already the goalgetter’s tenth goal of the season.
Cologne was shocked early on. Shortly afterwards, Kai Pröger even had a chance to score the second goal, but was denied by guest keeper Arne Schulz (8th). Badjie, however, slammed the ball into the Osnabrück night sky from a promising position (29th).
Dream goal from Kopacz
David Kopacz was more ripped off. And how! After a cross from Fridolin Wagner – again from the right – the Kehl substitute artistically hit the ball with his right heel as it fell. Inside, 2-0 (42nd)! Magical.
Spectacular at the front, confident at the back. Although Cologne made two substitutions at half-time and from then on had significantly more possession of the ball, the Osnabrück defense hardly let anything go. Instead, Tony Lesueur almost increased the score even further, but his finish was too imprecise (63′).
Cottbus also wins
VfL remains first in the third division. Equal points with Energie Cottbus (2:1 at VfB Stuttgart II). But at least until Wednesday they were seven points ahead of fourth place because their pursuers SC Verl lost 1-2 to Regensburg.
27th matchday, March 3rd, 2026 7:00 p.m
Jonsson-Fabinski, yes. Müller, Wiemann – Pröger, F. Wagner, B. Jacobsen (86th Janotta), Christensen (86th Schumacher) – Kopacz (76th Wiethaup), Badjie (63rd Lesueur) – R. Meißner (87th Riesselmann)
2
A. Schulz – Tonye (46. Kozuki), L. Dietz, Boboy (46. Kloss) – Sponsel, F. Engelhardt (76. Eisenhuth), Handle (69. Ronstadt) – L. Wolf, Münst – D. Otto (59. Sachse), Zank
0
Goals
- 1:0 R. Meissner (5.)
- 2:0 Kopacz (42.)
More information about the game
