FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt vs Hannover 96 II

Erfurt struck first through Brazilian forward Lucas Falcão, who met a cross with a well-timed header to open the scoring. The lead was doubled from the penalty spot before half-time, with Stanislav Fehler converting coolly to make it 2-0 at the interval — a lead that accurately reflected Erfurt's dominance in the opening 45 minutes.

The second half saw the floodgates open further. Trialist Bastian Redecker, a 19-year-old right winger most recently at Eintracht Braunschweig's U19 side, announced himself with a clinical double. Raphael Assibey-Mensah also got on the scoresheet as Erfurt ran riot.

Hannover 96 II pulled one goal back late on — a consolation for the visitors on an afternoon where they were largely second-best — but the damage was long done.

Hannover 96 II had survived the opening 30 minutes without conceding a second, but the penalty awarded just before the interval proved decisive. Fehler's successful spot-kick gave Erfurt a two-goal cushion at the break, forcing Hannover's young side to chase the game in the second half — a task that allowed Erfurt's trialist Redecker and the rest of the front line to exploit the space left behind.

Bastian Redecker — The trialist right winger made a compelling case for a contract with two second-half goals. Previously with Eintracht Braunschweig's U19 setup, his pace and finishing will have caught the coaching staff's attention.

Lucas Falcão — The Brazilian forward opened the scoring with a trademark headed goal and was a constant threat in the air throughout.

Stanislav Fehler — Reliable from 12 yards to double the lead before half-time and add breathing room.

The 5-1 margin tells a clear story of Erfurt's superiority, but the 2-0 half-time scoreline does not fully capture RWE's first-half control. Erfurt were already dominant before the penalty stretched the lead, and the second-half flurry (three more goals) reflected the defensive fatigue of a Hannover II side forced to push forward. The MDR report described Erfurt as being "in good early-season form" — a tag the scoreline backs up.

Erfurt have now won all of their pre-season friendlies since starting preparations on 23 June. The fixture was the Regionalligist's first test against fellow Regionalliga opposition and the result will build confidence ahead of the 2026/27 season, which is scheduled to begin on the weekend of 24–26 July.

Next up for RWE: a quick turnaround with Union Mühlhausen on Sunday 5 July, followed by tests against 1. FC Nürnberg II (10 July), Mainz 05 II (11 July) and KSV Hessen Kassel (18 July).

Hannover 96 II, the reserve side of the 2. Bundesliga club, continue their own pre-season schedule.

A routine, professional win for Erfurt against a younger opponent. The headline story is Redecker's double as a trialist — these friendlies are precisely for such auditions, and he took his chance. Erfurt look sharp for this stage of pre-season.