Rot-Weiss Essen briefly loses: Drama in the friendly against Hibernian!

Rot-Weiss Essen briefly loses: Drama in the friendly against Hibernian!

Easter Road Stadium, Edinburgh, Schottland - Rot-Weiss Essen had to give up in a gripping friendly against Scottish Hibernian FC with 2: 3. The match, which took place in the venerable Easter Road Stadium, not only offered an entertaining football game, but also recalled a memorable duel between the two clubs 70 years ago. Hibernian took the lead early through the goals of Jamie McGrath and Junior Hoilett and put the Essener under pressure.

After the half-time break, Rot-Weiss Essen showed his fighter heart and equalized with a double pack from Dominik Martinovic. The fresh forces on the square gave the team new impetus, but the last word was the Hibernian player Martin Boyle, who scored the decisive goal and gave the Essen team such a narrow defeat. The situation was particularly bitter for RWE when Torben Mussel awarded a penalty shortly before the end, which was parried by the Hibernian goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger. Despite the defeat, the players received great applause from the more than 2,000 fans who traveled, which underlines the positive atmosphere in the team, as they want to continue to build on the good second round. The next stop on the preparatory route is a game against Fortuna Cologne and a training camp in Lower Saxony.

new additions and squad planning

The squad planning at Rot-Weiss Essen is in full swing. With Jaka Čuber Potočnik, RWE has borrowed a talented striker from 1. FC Köln. The 19-year-old, who scored an impressive 23 goals in 28 games in the A-youth and gave his professional debut in September 2024, will play with the number 9. Potočnik, who has passed all medical tests, is motivated and ready for the challenge in Essen, as director of professional football Marcus Steegmann emphasizes. Steegmann praises the newcomer as strong and technically versed. Potočnik in the regional league was able to draw attention to himself last season, even if his missions were limited in the 2nd Bundesliga.

Aktuell also looking for further reinforcements for the storm series after some potential candidates canceled or financial hurdles made the transfer unlikely. The newcomers to previous new additions this summer include players such as Malte Brüning from Eintracht Trier and Michael Kostka from Miedz Legnica. Coach Uwe Koschinat has integrated numerous new faces into the squad to build a powerful team for the upcoming season.

outlook for the season

The Cologne native do not avoid looking ahead. On August 9th, the first competitive game against promoted TSV Havelse is on the program, which marks the second matchday of the 3rd league season 2025/26. Previously, the Bundesliga will start the new season on August 22nd with the first games for the clubs. RWE relies on an optimal start with the current preparation and to build on the successes of the past second half of the season. Trainer Koschinat will continue to observe this intensively in order to carry out the necessary fine adjustments in the team.

For all football fans, it remains exciting how the team will develop in the coming weeks. Above all, the integration of the new additions and the further test game results could be crucial for the self-confidence of the players.

For detailed information on the test games and the news from the Bundesliga, visit the reporting of leaga-drei and . .