Greuther Fürth secured its place in the 2. Bundesliga on Tuesday evening after defeating Rot-Weiss Essen 2-0 in the second leg of the relegation play-offs. This victory follows an initial 1-0 loss to Essen in the first match.
The visiting team started aggressively and created several early scoring chances. Gianluca Swajkowski’s free-kick attempt was saved by Fürth’s goalkeeper Prüfrock, and soon after, Torben Müsel forced another save with a long-range strike.
However, Fürth gradually gained control of the match. In the 29th minute, Noel Futkeu netted the opener, arriving after build-up play from Branimir Hrgota and Felix Klaus, scoring from close range to put the hosts ahead 1-0. While Essen managed to equalize through Tom Mizuta in the 36th minute, the goal was disallowed after a VAR review confirmed an offside position.
The Franken moved to capitalize immediately after the break. Branimir Hrgota doubled the lead in the 47th minute with a well-placed distance shot, making the score 2-0. Essen pressed hard for an equalizer, coming dangerously close to the goal multiple times. Michael Kostka missed a good opportunity, and goalkeeper Golz maintained the defense with several strong saves.
In the 68th minute, the visitors seemed to have found parity; Jaka Potocnik scored from a Jonas Hofmann cross, appearing to make it 2-1. Unfortunately, this goal was also overturned via video review due to an offside call.
As the game wound down, Essen pushed relentlessly for any goal that might have forced extra time. Müsel had the best chance in the 81st minute, but he was strongly repelled by a header save from Prüfrock. Mizuta narrowly missed a chance just before the final whistle. Fürth successfully defended their lead during added time, thereby guaranteeing their safety in the division.
