VfL Osnabrück is about to return to the 2nd Bundesliga. After Rot-Weiss Essen’s mistake in the 1:2 (1:2) against 1. FC Saarbrücken, the leaders are nine points ahead of third-placed Essen with three match days to go. Given the goal difference, which is 15 goals better, promotion can only theoretically be taken away from Lower Saxony.
Osnabrück (73 points) won 2-1 against SC Verl on Saturday thanks to a last-minute goal. On Sunday, Energie Cottbus (66) prevented Osnabrück from being promoted early with a 2-0 (1-0) win at Viktoria Köln and moved up to second place.
Essen (64) fell back to the relegation place. Behind them lurks MSV Duisburg (63), which in turn lost at Alemannia Aachen (1:3) on Friday.
Torben Müsel gave Essen an early lead (8th). Saarbrücken hit back before the break with Maurice Multhaup (30th) and Kai Brünker (40th). In the second half, RWE pushed hard for an equalizer, but despite several great chances it was no longer enough to score. The Saarlanders, for whom Dominic Baumann saw a red card in the final phase after a serious foul (82nd), are now on the verge of staying in the league.
In Cologne, Erik Engelhardt (18th) and King Manu (75th) ensured the Cottbus victory. In the event of a defeat, Osnabrück’s promotion would already have been certain.
