Rot-Weiss Essen narrowly loses: drama in the friendly against Hibernian!

Rot-Weiss Essen narrowly loses: drama in the friendly against Hibernian!

Rot-Weiss Essen lost 2-3 in a thrilling friendly against the Scottish Hibernian FC. The match, which took place at the venerable Easter Road Stadium, not only provided an entertaining game of football, but was also reminiscent of a memorable duel between the two clubs 70 years ago. Hibernian took an early lead through goals from Jamie McGrath and Junior Hoilett, putting Essen under pressure.

After the half-time break, Rot-Weiss Essen showed their fighting spirit and equalized with a brace from Dominik Martinovic. The fresh forces on the pitch gave the team new impetus, but the last word had the Hibernian player Martin Boyle, who scored the decisive goal and gave the Essen team a narrow defeat. The situation was particularly bitter for RWE when Torben Müsel missed a penalty shortly before the end, which was saved by Hibernian goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger. Despite the defeat, the players received huge applause from the over 2,000 fans who traveled with them, which underlines the positive mood in the team as they want to continue to build on the good second half of the season. The next stop on the preparation path is a game against Fortuna Cologne and a training camp in Lower Saxony.

New additions and squad planning

Squad planning at Rot-Weiss Essen is in full swing. With Jaka Čuber Potočnik, RWE has signed a talented striker on loan from 1. FC Köln. The 19-year-old, who scored an impressive 23 goals in 28 games in the A youth team and made his professional debut in September 2024, will wear the number 9 shirt. 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 in the air and technically adept. Potočnik was already able to attract attention in the regional league last season, even if his appearances in the 2nd Bundesliga were limited.

Rot-Weiss is currently looking for further reinforcements for the attack line after some potential candidates were canceled or financial hurdles made the transfer unlikely. New signings so far this summer include players like Malte Brüning from Eintracht Trier and Michael Kostka from Miedz Legnica. Coach Uwe Koschinat has integrated numerous new faces into the squad in order to build a powerful team for the upcoming season.

Outlook for the season

The people of Cologne do not avoid looking ahead. The first competitive game against promoted team TSV Havelse is on the program on August 9th, which marks the second matchday of the 3rd league season 2025/26. Before that, the Bundesliga will start the new season with the first games for the clubs on August 22nd. RWE is hoping to get off to an optimal start with its current preparations and build on the successes of the previous second half of the season. Coach Koschinat will continue to monitor this closely in order to make the necessary fine adjustments in the team.

It will be exciting for all football fans to see how the team will develop in the coming weeks. Above all, the integration of the new arrivals and the further test match results could be crucial for the players' self-confidence.

For detailed information on the test matches and the latest news from the Bundesliga, visit the coverage of t online, league three and 90min.