MSV Duisburg lost a lead in the basement duel with Waldhof Mannheim and will probably be relegated to the Regionalliga West.
The Meiderich team didn’t get more than a 1-1 (1-0) draw in their home game against Mannheim on Friday evening and therefore have little chance of staying in the league. Five game days before the end of the season, MSV is seven points behind Arminia Bielefeld in the first non-relegation spot. The East Westphalia team will play against Rot-Weiss Essen on Sunday.
MSV initially took the lead with an own goal from Terrence Boyd (33′), but had to concede the equalizer after the break with another own goal from Tobias Fleckstein (69′).
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Pledl chances and Boyd’s own goal
Compared to the 1:4 at Rot-Weiss Essen, MSV coach Boris Schommers made three changes to his starting eleven: Max Braune replaced the suspended Vincent Müller in goal, and Jonas Michelbrink and Kolja Pusch moved into the starting line-up for Daniel Ginczek and Tim Köther .
The game started with a good pace and early opportunities for Duisburg’s Thomas Pledl (4th) and Mannheim’s Martin Kobylanski (8th), both of whom were denied by the opposing goalkeepers. Pledl had the lead again in the 10th minute, but was unable to overcome Mannheim goalkeeper Omer Hanin from eleven meters. MSV dominated the game in this phase, but repeatedly invited Mannheim to counterattack with bad passes. Joshua Bitter had a good opportunity for Duisburg with a header from six meters (16th).
After 20 minutes, the chances to score became rarer and a long-range shot from Kobylanski (28th) for Mannheim was initially the only highlight until MSV surprisingly took the lead: Waldhof striker Boyd unfortunately headed a free-kick cross from Esswein into his own goal (32nd). The guests almost hit back with a standard situation, but Malte Karbstein’s header from a good position went over the goal (41′). Shortly afterwards, Boyd also narrowly missed the equalizer for his own goal (42nd). At the break, however, the Duisburg lead remained.
Duisburg offensively too harmless
At the start of the second half, little happened in front of either goal. Only after an hour did things become dangerous again in front of the Duisburg box after a corner when Marcel Seegert’s attempt was blocked (60′). Samuel Abifade was much closer to equalizing when he shot over the goal in the 65th minute. Mannheim was now the better team and earned the equalizer, which came in the 69th minute. Once again it was an own goal, this time by Duisburg’s Tobias Fleckstein, who maneuvered the ball into his own goal during a rescue operation.
Schommers reacted and, with Köther and Ginczek, brought fresh offensive forces into the Duisburg attack line, which had previously been harmless in the second half. MSV now invested more forward again, but barely got in front of the goal in what had become a disjointed game. It wasn’t until the 89th minute that Hanin was seriously tested again by Köther with a powerful shot from distance. In stoppage time, Pusch tried an overhead kick, but it ended up in the hands of Hanin (90th+1). Santiago Castaneda’s header also went straight to the Mannheim goalkeeper (90+4).
Away in Ingolstadt
MSV continues next Saturday (April 20, 2024/4:30 p.m.) with an away game at FC Ingolstadt.
