1. FC Lok and BSG Chemie put in spirited performances against second-division sides + Galleries

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No fewer than two football teams from the 2. Bundesliga were in Leipzig this weekend. Here, they played friendly matches against Leipzig’s Regionalliga sides. Despite ultimately losing, 1. FC Lok against Hertha BSC and BSG Chemie against 1. FC Magdeburg put in spirited performances.

BSG Chemie Leipzig vs. 1. FC Magdeburg 1–4 (1–1)

As with every Chemie home match last season, today’s friendly against 1. FC Magdeburg was completely sold out. A total of 4,999 spectators filled the stands at the Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark, including around 800 Magdeburg supporters. The match against the second-division side was the sporting highlight of the season-opening celebrations taking place this Sunday for the Leutzsch-based side.
Following three wins and a draw from their pre-season friendlies so far – all against teams from other regional leagues – Magdeburg now presented a real sporting challenge. This served as a particular litmus test for coach Alexander Schmidt’s completely revamped squad, which has already had to cope with 15 departures. In contrast, there are currently 11 new signings, and Swiss player Timon Näpfer also featured on trial today. According to the “Freie Presse”, however, the midfielder is also expected to have a trial with FSV Zwickau.

Incidentally, the 1. FC Magdeburg team travelled directly from their week-long training camp near Amberg. And to ensure their legs were properly up to speed, the friendly against Chemie was spontaneously played as a ‘maxi version’. This meant that, instead of the usual two halves of 45 minutes, the match consisted of four 30-minute halves. This was also a challenge for the Leutzsch side, as several players had been suffering from minor niggles in the days leading up to the match.

As expected, the favourites scored the first goal. Richmond Tachie put 1. FC Magdeburg ahead in the 16th minute. Chemie, however, put in a committed performance, rose to the challenge courageously and created chances. Their reward was the equaliser in the 40th minute, scored by new signing Elias Kratzer, who had moved to Leutzsch from Bonner SC. With the score at 1–1, the teams went into the half-time break after an hour.

The men from the city on the Elbe clearly recovered well during the break, as they added two more goals in the 64th and 76th minutes to regain the lead. The goalscorer on both occasions was Pierre Nadjombe – incidentally, the younger brother of Jean-Marie Nadjombe, who played for BSG Chemie last season. Moritz-Broni Kwarteng then put the finishing touch on the match in the 101st minute with his penalty goal to make it 4–1 for Magdeburg.

All in all, despite an expected defeat, it was a decent performance from the Green-Whites, who have another highlight of a friendly match on the programme this coming Saturday. They’re heading to Austria to face third-division side FC Wacker Innsbruck. It’s a return fixture, so to speak, as the Tyrolean team had already visited Leutzsch three years ago. Back then, the match ended in a 1–1 draw.

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1. FC Lok Leipzig v Hertha BSC 1–3 (1–2)

Local rivals 1. FC Lok had their moment in the second division as early as yesterday, Saturday. In front of 3,784 spectators, including around 1,000 away supporters, Hertha BSC – last season’s seventh-placed side in the 2. Bundesliga – took to the pitch at the Bruno-Plache-Stadion. Unlike 1. FC Magdeburg, they have yet to hold their pre-season training camp. However, they also took the lead against Lok. Against a Lok side that was equally committed, it took over half an hour before Sebastian Grönning headed home to make it 1–0 for Hertha.

Just three minutes later, in the 35th minute, the crowd in Probstheida erupted. Lok striker Ayodele Adetula had made the most of his first big chance to level the score at 1–1. The joy didn’t last long, however, as the Berlin side were back in front just two minutes later. Soufian Gouram curled the ball spectacularly into the top corner from distance – leaving Lok goalkeeper Andreas Naumann with no chance of saving it. The teams went into the break with the score at 1–2.

Hertha made a complete set of substitutions, but were quickly able to celebrate again after the restart as Marten Winkler clinically finished off a sharp cross from the right inside the penalty area to make it 1–3 (53′). That was how the match ended. Lok will therefore head to their training camp in Wesendorf, Lower Saxony, tomorrow (Monday) armed with fresh insights.

Aside from the purely sporting aspect, the afternoon’s football in Probstheida also offered a few emotional moments. Even before kick-off, captain Djamal Ziane had been honoured for playing 350 matches in the Lok shirt. He has now remained loyal to the Blue and Yellows for twelve years.

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During the half-time break, the man who had led Lok to the Regionalliga title in each of the past two seasons took to the pitch: Jochen Seitz. Following yet another failed play-off campaign for promotion to the 3. Liga, the 49-year-old head coach had resigned from his post at the start of June. At his former club, he – together with his assistant coach Nico Wegmann – was given a fitting send-off and celebrated loudly by the fans.

“It was absolutely brilliant working with the team and making you all happy,” said Seitz over the stadium PA system, addressing the spectators, and promised: “I’ll always keep Lok in my heart, because it really was an outstanding time.” He called on all the Blue and Yellows to continue to stick together through thick and thin – and said he would continue to keep his fingers crossed for Lok, even from afar. His words were met with prolonged applause.