3-0 Away Win: Magdeburg Wins Handily in Osnabrück

Second-division club 1. FC Magdeburg got off to a successful start on the road. In their 3-0 (2-0) win in Osnabrück, the team from Magdeburg put on a largely commanding performance and made up for their 1-6 loss to Eintracht Braunschweig on the first matchday. Alexander Nollenberger (24th, 35th) and Emmanuel Iyoha (69th) scored in front of 15,741 spectators.

“It’s really awesome for the team that we’re leaving here with three points—and what a way to do it. I’m proud of the team,” said Nollenberger. “We worked hard for this all week,” said coach Petrik Sander: “We made that mistake last week, but we can’t make it twice.”

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. 

Former Osnabrück player Iyoha seals the victory

Osnabrück came out of the break with intensity but then had a double stroke of luck: First, Zukowski was offside on what would have been the 3–0 goal (49'), and a handball by Jannik Müller in the penalty area (51') also went unpunished due to a previous offside call. The match was now much livelier, as FCM had to find their footing against the more aggressive hosts. The team from Magdeburg didn’t quite manage that—they rarely found their rhythm on the counterattack—but they capitalized on their chances: Iyoha, himself a former Osnabrück player, scored to make it 3–0. 

The hosts continued to press forward but rarely created opportunities—and the few shots they did manage were saved by Dominik Reimann in the Magdeburg goal. The Magdeburg team managed to redeem themselves against a largely harmless Lower Saxony side—so the FCM heads into its cup match against fifth-division club Bahlinger SC with confidence.