Second division team wins relegation
©IMAGO
Fürth managed to avoid relegation from the 2nd Bundesliga. In the second leg of the relegation match against third division club Rot-Weiss Essen on Tuesday, the Middle Franconians won 2-0 after a 1-0 defeat in the first leg. Noel Futkeu and Branimir Hrgota made the cloverleaf celebrate. The 21-year-old goalkeeper Silas Scheckrock repeatedly proved to be a strong support.
The guests from the Ruhr area, who were shockingly weak in the end, squandered their narrow 1-0 win from the first leg and missed the return to the second division after 19 years. The video referee withdrew a supposed goal from Jaka Cuber Potocnik for offside in the 68th minute. After hitting the post, Torben Müsel’s header (81′) failed in front of the empty goal.
In front of 16,126 spectators, the Fürth team were initially kept in the game by their goalkeeper testrock. Then Futkeu (29th minute) and Hrgota (47th) gave the Kleeblatt fans farewell gifts with their goals: the two attackers are leaving the Franconians this summer as relegation heroes.
Futkeu – who else!?
Futkeu had worn himself out in the first leg. The 23-year-old attacker, who was crowned second division top scorer with 19 goals, hardly got a chance against Essen due to concerns about a yellow card suspension. This time he showed his class again. Futkeu, who is leaving Fürth for Eintracht Frankfurt after two years, scored like a real goalgetter from close range. The preparatory work demonstrated the strength of will of the Franks.
Captain Hrgota, who is looking for a new challenge after seven years as the club’s record goalscorer, fought his way into the penalty area on the right side. Felix Klaus just managed to stab his preparatory work to Futkeu. The Fürth fans freaked out for a moment.
Fürth, which had only saved itself from relegation on the last match day, initially had more possession of the ball. But the Essenes had a great chance of taking the lead. Gianluca Swajkowski appeared alone in front of Kleeblatt keeper testrock in the tenth minute. But the 21-year-old goalkeeper sensationally blocked the sharp shot from eleven meters.
Test rock again and again
Just three minutes later, Scheckrock directed a central volley from Müsel, who had scored the winning goal in the first leg with a dream free kick, over the crossbar. Fürth was able to thank Scheckrock.
But gradually the home team got going. A cross from Jannik Dehm (19th) from the right suddenly fell and hit the crossbar. Lucky for Essen and goalkeeper Jakob Golz. The guests from the Ruhr area now had more and more problems with the Franconian offensive force around Futkeu, Hrgota, Klaus and Sayfallah Ltaief, who initially could not be controlled on the left side.
While pyrotechnics flew from the Essen fan block after the break, the next Fürth striker to leave caused his fans to cheer. Hrgota placed the ball in the box on his strong left foot and shot it irresistibly into the goal.
The Essenes still had their opportunities. But finishes like those from Michael Kostka (50th) were far too weak. On the other side, Golz saved against the ever-threatening Futkeu (56th). The Fürth defense wasn’t always secure – but it withstood the final pressure.
