Atlas Delmenhorst vs Papenburg

Atlas's first-half intensity — four goals inside 36 minutes — effectively ended the contest before the interval. Sporting director Florian Schmidt acknowledged the drop-off after the break: "A break came into the game and we lost our rhythm. That perhaps had something to do with the many substitutions." The half-time changes disrupted Atlas's flow, but by then the damage was done.

• Marcel Raßmann (Player of the Match): Two clinical finishes inside 12 minutes set the tone. The new signing combined well with Rohwedder for the opener and showed composure to round the keeper for the second.
• Mats Kaiser: Sharp movement and anticipation to score the fourth, taking full advantage of a Papenburg mistake.
• Amin Muja: Immediate impact off the bench, scoring within minutes of his introduction to make it 5-0.

Guest goalkeeper Philip Reis, a 22-year-old Canadian trialist who previously played for Eintracht Nordhorn, made two saves in his 30-minute cameo but was powerless to stop Kremer's late strike. Forward Sinan Brüning also featured as a guest player, keeping fit before returning to US college football.

The 4-0 half-time scoreline tells the story: Atlas's early aggression and pressing forced errors from a Papenburg side playing their first friendly of the summer. The hosts' 5-1 final margin mirrored their Blitzturnier result against DTB (5-1) a week earlier, suggesting a pattern of fast starts in pre-season. The second-half dip — with 11 substitutions disrupting continuity — is a familiar pre-season rhythm rather than a concern.

For Atlas Delmenhorst — preparing for their debut Regionalliga Nord campaign after winning the Oberliga Niedersachsen title in 2025/26 — this was a useful first workout. Schmidt confirmed the club remains in the market for a young goalkeeper, an experienced central midfielder, and a left-footed centre-back. The next test comes on Sunday 6 July at the Blitzturnier of Bezirksligist GVO Oldenburg, where Atlas face Landesliga side SV Altenoythe.

Papenburg, who finished sixth in the Landesliga Weser-Ems last season, will take positives from their second-half showing and Kremer's excellent consolation goal in their first pre-season outing.

A professional, efficient start from Atlas, who did what a side two divisions above their opponent should do — and did it in the first half. The second-half drop-off was predictable given the wholesale changes. The trial of goalkeeper Reis and the minutes for Brüning added useful context for Schmidt's squad planning. Pre-season is exactly where it should be: early days, plenty to build on.