Garrel vs VfB Oldenburg

The first 20 minutes were competitive, with the Landesliga hosts showing they could cause problems. Schröder's opener in the 21st minute shifted the dynamic entirely — once VfB had the lead, Garrel's resistance crumbled and the floodgates opened. By the 35th minute the match was effectively decided at 3-0.

• Leon Demaj: The new arrival followed up his double in the Hoppmann-Cup final (a 2-1 win over Bremer SV on 4 July) with another brace here. His movement in the box unsettled the Garrel defence all evening.
• Mats Facklam: Also scored twice (35', 51'), demonstrating the striking depth Dario Fossi has at his disposal heading into the new Regionalliga season.
• Marc Schröder: Opened the scoring and anchored the defence alongside trialist Anton Lange.
• Anton Lange: The 20-year-old centre-back, formerly of Hannover 96 II and currently without a club, played the full 90 minutes as a trialist. VfB managing director Sebastian Schachten confirmed he will stay with the club for the week and likely feature in Saturday's test against SC Wiedenbrück.

VfB's 7-0 scoreline reflects the gulf between a Regionalliga side tuning up for a competitive season and a Landesliga opponent in an early pre-season friendly. The fact that Garrel held firm for the first 20 minutes — and that VfB coach Dario Fossi acknowledged his team needed time to find their rhythm — is more telling than the raw shot count. The second-half surge (three goals in 13 minutes from the 48th to 61st minute) suggests Oldenburg improved as the game wore on and their fitness advantage told.

For VfB Oldenburg, this is a confidence-building start to their pre-season programme following their Hoppmann-Cup triumph on 4 July. Fossi's side face another test on Saturday, 11 July, when they host West Regionalliga side SC Wiedenbrück at the Stavermann-Sportpark (14:00 kick-off). The club will also use the coming days to evaluate trialist Anton Lange.

For BV Garrel, the scoreline is a reminder of the step up in quality when facing a side two divisions higher. Coach Patrick Looschen will take encouragement from the opening 20 minutes but has clear defensive work ahead before the Landesliga season begins.

A routine pre-season exercise for VfB Oldenburg, who did exactly what a fourth-tier side should against a sixth-tier opponent once they found their stride. The double strikes from Demaj and Facklam are the takeaway for Fossi — his attacking options look sharp. Garrel can write this off as a learning experience against superior opposition.

Quotes from Dario Fossi and Sebastian Schachten via VfB Oldenburg official website and NWZ Online.