Brackel 4 - 3 Bünsel (392900658)

Clouds darkened the skies at Brackel City as 983 spectators turned up for the match. Pavel Fedorov was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Rickard Everdahl and Louison Roméro. Brackel had chosen a strategic 4-3-3 formation. Lineup: Breed - Apostol, Zendath, Çukani, Klingenbrunner - Langkafel, Aquilone, Valentin - Wenziker, Dreihen, Rajamäki.

Bünsel started off with a 3-4-3 lineup. The following players took the field: Vergun - Hauschka, Giesberg, Egerth - Noisternig-Wallner, Kriner, Wriechen, Kischke - Malkin, Villaño, Toiviainen.

Many thought S. Dreihen ought to have been awarded a penalty 3 minutes into the game, as he went down trying to dribble around I. Vergun after a determined run through the middle. Bünsel's F. Villaño gave the visitors a 0 - 1 lead after 20 minutes with a superb strike from the right. 21 minutes in, Brackel appeared unsure on how to play and their organisation was only passable. The home crowd cheered when, after 23 minutes, R. Kriner's charge up the middle resulted in the keeper making one of his best saves of the day. 24 minutes into the game, Brackel seemed to suffer a certain amount of confusion and they fell to a weak level of organisation. 25 minutes into the match, Brackel's S. Dreihen maneuvered his way around the opposition on the left flank, delighting the crowd with his twists and turns. The effort paid off as the ball found the back of the net, evening the score at 1 - 1. After 30 minutes, Bünsel raised their score by one when H. Kischke's dangerous low cross was cleverly tucked in at the near post by B. Malkin. 1 - 2. Brackel equalised after 31 minutes after a brilliantly placed penalty by M. Çukani. The guests took the lead 33 minutes into the match, after a right-side attack resulted in B. Malkin scoring to make it 2 - 3. Against a lesser team, Brackel could very well have succeeded with their smart indirect free kick routine after 38 minutes. A trio of passes took the ball all the way past the defenders, but by then the intended recipient was already blocked off and the keeper could make a leisurely save. 2 - 3 was the halftime score. Bünsel had most of the ball, with 51 percent of possession.

The Brackel players spent the break getting a rerun of the team's tactical organisation and regained a passable organisation when the game started again. The crowd was on its feet 47 minutes into the match, as Brackel's J. Langkafel found himself unmarked in front of the goal after a dash up the left side. He calmly put away the 3 - 3 equaliser. Slack defending gave Brackel a chance to take the lead with 49 minutes played, but F. Valentin's cross from the left flank was fumbled in front of the goal and easily dealt with by the opposition. Brackel broke through on the left 55 minutes into the game, with K. Wenziker firing in from an acute angle to give the home side a 4 - 3 lead. Brackel's K. Wenziker saw his fine effort strike the top of the bar following some good work up the middle by his teammates after 63 minutes. After 65 minutes, there was a bit of a mixup on the field as Brackel found themselves out of position and their organisation level dropped to inadequate. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by Brackel, with 52 percent of the ball.

Brackel's top performer was clearly K. Wenziker. M. Rajamäki on the other hand, had a terrible day. H. Noisternig-Wallner performed admirably for Bünsel. I. Vergun turned in a dismal performance, however. The match ends 4 - 3.