FC Gießen vs. FSV Frankfurt 0:3

The first half of the current Regionalliga Südwest season is drawing to a close in the coming weeks. FSV Frankfurt extended their long unbeaten run in all of their October games and completed a golden October with last Tuesday's hard-fought Hesse Cup quarter-final against Bayern Alzenau. This Saturday, the Bornheim side travelled to newly promoted FC Giessen in their first league game of November and extended their lead at the top of the table with another win and a point dropped by second-placed Hoffenheim.

FSV head coach Tim Görner made two changes to the starting line-up compared to the previous cup tie against FC Bayern Alzenau: Gwangin Lee and Leonhard von Schroetter played from the start, Timo Hildmann, who was injured in Alzenau, was absent today in Gießen and was therefore not in the squad. Bornheim started in a down-to-earth manner in the opening minutes, not taking many risks and slowly feeling their way forwards. The hosts from Gießen did not hide and attacked, albeit somewhat harmlessly at first, in the direction of the FSV goal. In the fifth minute of the game, Giorgio Del Vecchio shot at the Giessen goal, but the ball flew over the goal. It took a good 20 minutes before the Black & Blues took the lead through a set piece. After a corner kick, Del Vecchio headed the ball to Lucas Hermes at the second post, who scored the first goal of the match from close range. A minute later, Cas Peters pushed for the home side's goal but was denied by FCG goalkeeper Bilal Jomaa Zabadne and missed the chance to extend the lead quickly. Over the course of the first 45 minutes, Frankfurt dominated the Central Hesse-South Hesse duel, while Giessen struggled to break down the Bornheim defence, which was very compact and consistent. The Görner team almost conceded an unfortunate goal in the 39th minute. Goalkeeper Justin Ospelt received the ball and tried to kick it out of the danger zone, but ran into an opposing player from close range, who immediately stopped the ball and delivered the equaliser. Defence man Lukas Gottwalt prevented the 1:1 and then finally averted the danger himself. Peters extended the lead shortly before the half-time whistle after Tim Latteier shot at goal in Giessen's penalty area. However, the shot was deflected and ended up with the FSV striker, who scored from close range to make it 2-0. Both teams then went into the half-time break with FSV Frankfurt deservedly leading by two goals to one. During the break, Gießen coach Michael Fink made four changes. The league leaders continued to play strongly, Gottwalt almost increased the lead to 3:0 a few minutes after the restart, but the defender lobbed the ball over the box of the Central Hessians after a corner kick. FCG were more courageous in the second half and attempted several counter-attacks, but FSV's defence held firm and thwarted the home side. Giessen moved close to the FSV sixteen but struggled to find a gap, forcing Fink's team to try from the second row. However, their shots were too imprecise and flew over Ospelt's goal. Despite all this, Görner's team dominated the second half at Gießen's Waldstadion and finally put the lid on the game in the 85th minute through substitute Elias Breir. After an alternating back and forth in the home penalty area, Tobias Peitz played the ball back to Breir, who scored the third goal for Bornheim with a volley. Another highlight of today's match was the return of Ahmed Azaouagh, who took to the pitch for the final five minutes of the game after a very long injury lay-off, to thunderous applause from the visiting fans who had travelled with him. After three minutes of stoppage time, referee Karoline Wacker blew the final whistle.

FSV Frankfurt won 3:0 at FC Giessen this Saturday afternoon thanks to goals from Lucas Hermes, Cas Peters and Elias Breir, thus extending their lead at the top of the table in the Regionalliga Südwest. Among other things, this is the eighth win in a row for Görner's team. As TSG Hoffenheim U23, who are second in the table, lost 1-0 at FC 08 Homburg at the same time, Bornheim now have a five-point lead. The Black & Blues face FC-Astoria Walldorf next Friday, 8 November, in the last home game of the first half of the current season and can secure the early autumn championship with another win. The floodlit match kicks off at 7pm in the PSD Bank Arena.