FC Carl Zeiss Jena vs Germania Halberstadt

Jena's response to falling behind inside seven minutes was the decisive phase of the match. Rather than allowing the early setback to unsettle them, Marco Grote's side drew level within four minutes through Talabidi and then controlled proceedings for the remainder of the half. Once Wollschläger made it 2-1 in the 28th minute, Halberstadt rarely looked capable of recovering the deficit. The early equaliser shifted the momentum decisively and Jena never relinquished it.

Luca Wollschläger — The forward scored twice (28', 50') in a clinical display that underlined his importance to Jena's attacking plans for the upcoming Regionalliga Nordost season. His first was a composed finish in a congested box; his second demonstrated sharp movement to meet a cross.

Malik Talabidi — Opened his pre-season account with the equaliser that steadied Jena after the early goal conceded. His link-up play with Löder in central areas was encouraging for the campaign ahead.

Elias Löder — Making his return for the club, the midfielder provided the assist for Talabidi's equaliser and showed the creativity Grote will rely on from the middle of the pitch. The OTZ reported that Grote was pleased with Löder's first appearance back (source: OTZ).

Joel-Pascal Klaschka — The Halberstadt midfielder produced the moment of the match with his 85th-minute lob from the halfway line. It was a goal worthy of a higher stage but came too late to influence the result.

Player of the match: Luca Wollschläger (FC Carl Zeiss Jena).

Jena's 4-2 victory was built on dominance in the middle third and an ability to recover quickly from conceding first. Playing in Hermsdorf rather than at their usual Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld — which was unavailable due to another event — Jena still controlled the territorial battle after the opening 10 minutes. The half-time scoreline of 2-1 reflected genuine superiority: Jena created the clearer chances after the 15th minute and could have led by more. Halberstadt's two goals came from their only two clear sights of goal — Kühnhardt's early finish and Klaschka's long-range lob — suggesting Jena's defensive organisation was generally sound despite the final score reading closer than the balance of play.

For Jena, this was the first serious test of their pre-season under head coach Marco Grote, who took charge in the off-season. Facing a side one division below them in the German pyramid, Grote will have been satisfied with his team's attacking fluidity — particularly the movement of Wollschläger and the integration of Löder — while noting that the two goals conceded, especially Klaschka's late lob, are correctable issues before competitive action begins in the Regionalliga Nordost. Halberstadt, preparing for life in the Oberliga, can take encouragement from their early goal and the capacity to trouble a higher-tier opponent, even if the final margin accurately reflected the gulf in class.

Jena's next pre-season fixture is currently unconfirmed at the time of writing. The Regionalliga Nordost season starts in late July/early August 2026.

A straightforward pre-season victory for the Regionalliga side against a dogged Oberliga opponent. Jena's quality told across 90 minutes, and the attacking partnerships already show signs of cohesion. The two goals conceded — one avoidable from open play, one a freak strike — give Grote specific areas to tighten ahead of the competitive start, but the overall performance was exactly what a pre-season test at this stage should deliver.