1. FC Nürnberg vs Waldhof Mannheim

The match was played in four 30-minute quarters at the TSG Roth sports ground, allowing both managers to field virtually two different teams. Klose used the first 60 minutes to give game time to one XI and the second 60 to an entirely different set of outfield players.

Waldhof started the sharper of the two sides. FCN goalkeeper Michal Reichert was called into action early, producing a strong save to keep the scores level inside the first quarter-hour. The 3. Liga side's persistence paid off a minute before the end of the second quarter: Julian Ulbricht met a right-wing cross at the near post and powered a header past Reichert to make it 1–0 in the 44th minute.

Nürnberg's response came swiftly. A high turnover in the Mannheim half saw Javier Fernandez drive at the defence, beat his man with a body feint and hammer the ball inside the left post to level in the 55th minute.

The third quarter brought drama inside two minutes. A bizarre 64th-minute moment put Waldhof back ahead: a back-pass across the Nürnberg penalty area hit an uneven patch of turf and bounced over the foot of goalkeeper Robin Lisewski, allowing Terrence Boyd to roll into an empty net for 2–1.

The lead lasted just 120 seconds. Zoma drove infield from the left flank and picked out Scobel, who controlled, turned and fired home in one sweeping motion to make it 2–2 in the 66th minute.

The decisive moment arrived in the 93rd minute. Another high turnover — a recurring theme in Nürnberg's performance — saw Markhiyev slip the ball to Scobel, who feinted past his marker and slotted low into the right corner for his second of the afternoon.

Lubach later missed a penalty that would have widened the margin, but the scoreline remained 3–2.

The 120-second sequence between the 64th and 66th minutes. Waldhof's fortuitous second goal through Boyd could have knocked Nürnberg off balance, but Scobel's instant response — a composed finish from Zoma's delivery — restored parity before the momentum had fully shifted. From that point, Nürnberg dominated the remainder of the third and fourth quarters, outplaying a Waldhof side that struggled to retain possession.

Piet Scobel (Nürnberg) — Player of the match. Two goals from two shots in the second hour, both taken with the composure Klose will want to see from his centre-forward this season. "It's a nice feeling to score again," Scobel told fcn.de post-match. "They were a good opponent, so we're happy we won."

Javier Fernandez (Nürnberg). Scored the equaliser and was the driving force in the midfield during the first hour, repeatedly winning the ball high up the pitch and driving forward.

Zoma (Nürnberg). Caused constant problems down the left flank in the second half of the match, delivering the cross for Scobel's first goal and creating several other openings.

Julian Ulbricht (Waldhof). Scored his side's opener with a well-timed header and was a threat from set pieces throughout.

The provider's data shows a 3–2 scoreline, but the 4×30-minute format means traditional stats like possession and shots carry less weight than in a standard 90-minute fixture. The pattern is clearer from the narrative: Nürnberg's high-pressing game generated multiple turnovers in dangerous areas, directly producing two of their three goals (Fernandez and Scobel's second). Waldhof's opener came from a cross, their second from a defensive error — two different routes to goal that reflected their more direct approach.

Nürnberg used 22 players across the 120 minutes; Waldhof's rotations are not published, but the visitors visibly faded in the final quarter, surrendering possession cheaply and rarely threatening Lisewski's goal.

Nürnberg head to their South Tyrol training camp on Sunday 19 July with three wins from three friendlies, maintaining a clean pre-season record under Klose. The 2. Bundesliga season does not start until late July/early August 2026. Waldhof, who had beaten VfR Mannheim (2–0) and FC Thun (2–1) before losing to Eintracht Frankfurt II (0–2) and now Nürnberg, will continue their own preparations. The 3. Liga season kicks off for Mannheim on 7 August 2026 at home against Fortuna Düsseldorf, followed by a trip to Hansa Rostock — and a DFB-Pokal derby against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the first round.

A worthwhile workout for both sides. Klose will have valued the 120-minute minutes distribution and the character shown by his second-half XI to come from behind twice. The first-half performance fell short of his standards — "Before [the 60th minute] it wasn't how I wanted it," he said — but the response after the second equaliser was emphatic. Waldhof will take heart from competing with a side a division above them, even if the final 30 minutes exposed a conditioning gap that pre-season is designed to close.

Sources: fcn.de (1. FC Nürnberg official site), mannheim24.de, BILD.de, YouTube/ClubTV