3-0 Away Win: Magdeburg Wins Handily in Osnabrück

Nollenberger Seals Magdeburg’s Dominance

In addition to Herbert Bockhorn, who was suspended after receiving a red card, Sander also had to do without Moritz-Broni Kwarteng (ill) at the last minute. With Pierre Nadjombe, Tobias Müller, and young talent Leon Mergner in midfield, the FCM made three changes from their opening-day lineup. More aggression in attack and better defensive positioning were supposed to be Magdeburg’s recipe for success. A good portion of the FCM fans missed the start because their train was delayed.

Although the FCM had more possession and won the majority of the tackles, there was no real goal threat in the first 12 minutes. It wasn’t until then that the hosts created a counterattack, though it ended with an inaccurate cross.

FCM struggled to penetrate the penalty area, but at the end of a series of corner kicks, Nollenberger took a shot and curled the ball into the net to give his team the lead. Osnabrück became more active after that, but not more dangerous—instead, Nollenberger scored a spectacular goal off a beautiful pass from Baris Atik.