Peckeloh vs Arminia Bielefeld

The match, played in front of around 2,500 spectators, could not have started worse for the visitors. Inside three minutes, a defensive lapse allowed Peckeloh to counter quickly, and Leandro Ricker Rasteiro's shot beat goalkeeper Jonas Kersken to give the home side a shock 1–0 lead.

Arminia, captained by Maximilian Bauer, grew into the half. Bauer twice went close from corners around the 22-minute mark, but it was Maximilian Großer who finally equalised in the 31st minute, converting from a corner routine to make it 1–1 at the break.

Kirch made a complete XI change at half-time, introducing a fresh eleven including U17 national team player Till Wegener for his first senior minutes. The second half began with Bielefeld on the front foot. Another corner proved decisive — Jannik Rochelt's delivery in the 55th minute found the net to give Arminia a 2–1 lead.

Peckeloh refused to fold. Rochelt slipped near his own penalty area in the 71st minute, allowing the hosts to pounce and equalise at 2–2. Worse followed for the visitors: Dimitrios Nemtsis then put Peckeloh 3–2 ahead, stunning the travelling support.

That was the turning point. Arminia responded with a barrage of five goals. Marvin Mehlem levelled from another corner, Julian Kania made it 4–3 in the 76th minute, Benjamin Boakye extended the lead to 5–3 after a slick combination with Joel Grodowski, Grodowski himself converted a penalty for 6–3, and Mehlem added his second in the 88th minute to cap the scoring at 7–3.

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Peckeloh's 3–2 goal could have been a statement win for the Westfalenliga side. Instead, it triggered an immediate response from Arminia. The three-minute spell that followed — Mehlem's equaliser from a corner and Kania's quickfire finish — flipped momentum decisively. Kirch later noted his side's "too wild" approach in the second half but accepted the value of the test.

"Peckeloh have a good team. I told the boys before the game that they would be up for it in front of this crowd. In the first half a lot was okay — we created good chances and should have scored one or two more. The second half was a bit too wild. We took too many risks in some situations. That's normal in the first friendlies, and it's good that it happens. We can't replicate these situations in training, but they give us a lot for video analysis." — Oliver Kirch, via Arminia.de

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Marvin Mehlem — Two goals (one from a corner, one in the 88th minute) and a constant threat in the second half. His physical presence caused problems for a tiring Peckeloh defence.

Benjamin Boakye — Scored the crucial 5–3 goal and showed sharp movement in the final third. Combined well with Grodowski and Kania.

Joel Grodowski — A goal and an assist. His penalty under the crossbar was emphatic, and his link-up play in the build-up to Boakye's goal was the highlight of the match.

Player of the Match: Marvin Mehlem — his two goals and overall influence in the second-half turnaround were decisive.

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The 1–1 half-time scoreline flattered neither side — Arminia had the better chances but met a well-organised Peckeloh defence. The second half saw a dramatic shift in tempo: Arminia's complete XI change brought fresh legs against a tiring opponent, and the result was six goals in the final 40 minutes. The high number of goals (10) reflects the early-season lack of defensive cohesion on both sides, something Kirch acknowledged as useful for analysis rather than concerning.

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For Arminia Bielefeld, this is the first step in a new cycle under Oliver Kirch, who took charge ahead of the 2026–27 season. The 7–3 win, while against lower-league opposition, gives the squad a positive start and valuable minutes across two full XIs. The defensive vulnerabilities — especially the early goal and the second-half wobble before the fightback — are clear areas for attention.

Peckeloh, competing in the Westfalenliga (Germany's sixth tier), gave a spirited account of themselves against a side three divisions above them. Twice leading, they exposed the rustiness of a professional side in early pre-season and will take confidence from their performance.

Next up for Arminia Bielefeld: FC Gütersloh at home on Wednesday, 8 July 2026 — the second pre-season friendly at the Friedrich-Hagemann-Straße ground.

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A chaotic, entertaining pre-season opener that told Kirch exactly what he needed to know: his squad has goal threat in abundance but defensive organisation needs work. The five-goal second-half response was emphatic, but the two spells of falling behind — including against a sixth-tier side — will be the focus of the video analysis. Promising foundations, plenty to build on.