Xilk´s 3 - 2 Mettmanner (368743034)

39633 spectators arrived at Becks Arena, where weather conditions were pretty good for football. Sergio Arnal was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Johan Runesson and Javier Zaballos. Xilk´s tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. They fielded: Bösperde - Heppenstiel, Borchart, Wirobisch - Vogts, Ulemek, Matsson, Gross, Haamann - Glitza, van de Gabel-Rüppel.

Mettmanner started off with a 3-5-2 lineup. The following players took the field: Domimisse - Ballesteros, Paineau, Germain - Kluski, Šifra, Sharabi, Dörflinger, Rossi - Olenflod, Croguennec.

Mettmanner saw most attack opportunities on the wings. I. Paineau was ever so close to scoring after an excellent corner was beautifully flicked on by O. Germain, but the ball bounced off the post to safety. The opposing supporters gave the referee an earful when he only gave F. Kluski from Mettmanner a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 20 minutes into the game. That was far too lenient! At 31 minutes played, Y. Haamann came in from the right with the intention of giving Xilk´s the lead, but his rocket of a shot rattled the crossbar. When F. Kluski made yet another studs-first tackle after 34 minutes, the referee was obliged to book the Mettmanner player for the second time, sending him off the pitch. Mettmanner's F. Croguennec gave the visitors a 0 - 1 lead after 40 minutes with a superb strike from the right. Mettmanner's E. Dörflinger's long shot really ought to have found the net 42 minutes into the match, but it fell just wide of the target. Xilk´s's defence sent a ball soaring up the middle on a beautiful counterattack with 44 minutes gone, but M. Ulemek's finish was met by the reaching hands of the keeper. It was 0 - 1 at the break. Xilk´s claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 53 percent.

Mettmanner were determined to attack on the wing and their central attempts were constantly abandoned in favour of the wings. With the scoreboard showing that 49 minutes had been played, Mettmanner nearly put themselves up another goal after L. Olenflod came through on the left. Fortunately for the home crowd, the keeper made the save. Xilk´s's M. Ulemek was shown a yellow card after 53 minutes for slicing down an opponent. Unfortunately for Mettmanner, F. Croguennec was injured when the game became more physical, and he had to leave the field. K. Duban replaced him. D. van de Gabel-Rüppel showed the skills that make him a real crowd pleaser as he, after 71 minutes, wove through the guests' entire central defence and put the 1 - 1 equaliser away. Xilk´s fans held their breath as Y. Haamann scampered down the left side. He successfully avoided all challenges and cracked home the shot for 2 - 1! The visitors' L. Olenflod was alert after a cross coming in from the left, levelling the score at 2 - 2 after 77 minutes. Xilk´s took the lead 84 minutes into the game by 3 - 2, as U. Glitza elegantly received a long range pass through the middle, finishing off with a half-volley shot just below the bar. Attacking on the wings was the choice for Mettmanner, and they were successfully passing the ball from the middle to the wings to attack. Xilk´s had most of the ball, with 55 percent of possession.

Xilk´s's best player was U. Glitza. On the other hand, A. Wirobisch's play was disheartening. The most dominating Mettmanner player was without a doubt O. Sharabi. K. Duban was a disappointment, however. The match ends 3 - 2.