Match report | Twelve games unbeaten: Duisburg finally shakes off Lotte | MSV Duisburg – Sportfreunde Lotte 1:0 | 17th matchday | Regional League West 2024/25

Celebrations after the 1-0: Jan-Simon Symalla gave Duisburg the deserved lead in the 41st minute
IMAGO/Nico Herbertz

Top game at the end of the first half of the season: On the 17th matchday, MSV Duisburg, already established as autumn champions, received a direct competitor in the title fight, Sportfreunde Lotte, and wanted to further expand their lead over pursuers Fortuna Cologne, which had recently grown to six points. The newcomer from Lotter Kreuz, who were separated from MSV by seven points, of course had something against that and not only wanted to make a big statement with a three-pointer, but also wanted to end the recent dip in form after three defeats from the last four games.

From the kick-off it was the league leaders who started the party at full speed, pushing Lotte deep into their own half and putting the visitors’ goal under constant pressure. After nine minutes the ball hit the net for the first time. Sussek marched across half the field and shot in the penalty area, Beckemayer let it bounce forward, where Fakhro scored to make it 1-0. But the assistant’s flag went up – offside.

The zebras continued to keep the pace high and stayed in control. In the 17th minute, Lotte’s keeper Beckemeyer had to intervene again when he fished a free kick from Hahn out of the corner. After 30 minutes, Lotte was able to overcome her initial nervousness and keep the game away from her own goal. However, offensively there was nothing to be gained against the well-organized Duisburg defense.

Symalla punishes individual mistakes

In the 41st minute, an individual mistake gave Duisburg the lead. Fakhro took the ball from his opponent on the left of the penalty area at baseline level, looked for a quick finish, Beckemeyer threw himself in between and involuntarily cleared it into the backcourt to Symalla, who uncompromisingly thundered the ball under the crossbar (41′). Lotte almost had a quick answer after a free kick from the half-field on the left side, but Braune defused the tricky header against Heider’s direction with a great reflex and thus held on to the well-deserved lead at the break.

The second round started like the first: with a lot of pressure from Duisburg. The home team quickly seemed to clear things up and pushed for the second goal. Attack volleys rolled towards the visitors’ goal quickly every minute. But neither the cheeky corner from Bookjans (51′), nor Bitter (53′) and finally Fakhro (54’/55′) put the ball in the goal.

Duisburg presses for the second goal – Elezi lacks the overview

In the 58th minute Lotte had the first really good chance after the break. Elezi left several Duisburg players standing, but missed the crucial moment to play on the completely empty left side. On the right side of the penalty area, the offensive player still brought the ball into the middle, where Fontain failed to produce a controlled shot from the turn – more would have been possible.

In the middle of the second half, MSV retreated further and further and let Lotte come in, hoping for what might be the decisive counterattack. But in front of 17,929 spectators the one-goal lead remained. Should the Duisburg results management take revenge? The answer: no. Because Lotte didn’t play hard enough to equalize in the final minutes and, on the other hand, Tugbenyo missed the final decision in a one-on-one with Beckemeyer, it remained 1-0 for MSV, which not only kept the competition at a distance held, but also remained unbeaten for the twelfth time in a row.