Hummetroth vs Friedberg

The match at SV Hummetroth's temporary home in Pfungstadt began spectacularly for the hosts. Inside two minutes, striker Giuseppe Signorelli powered a header from a cross past Friedberg goalkeeper Philipp Bagus to make it 1–0.

Friedberg, with five new signings in their starting XI, took time to settle. Maik Vetter admitted his side "verschlafen" (slept through) the start. But as the half wore on, the visitors began to dominate possession. The breakthrough came in the 42nd minute: Saher Bhatti swung in a corner and Toni Reljic headed home the equaliser — 'a kind of relief', as Friedberg's press spokesman Furkan Kaplan described it.

Two minutes later, the game had turned completely. A slick counter-attack involving Tamin Faqiryar and Noah Michel released Reljic again, and the striker finished coolly to make it 2–1. The 44th-minute goal meant Friedberg had scored twice in 120 seconds to erase Hummetroth's dream start.

Reljic's brace — two goals in two minutes just before half-time — was the clear inflection point. Hummetroth had led from the second minute and looked organised, but once the first Friedberg goal went in, the away side's belief surged. The double punch left the hosts reeling at the break and changed the tactical complexion of the match entirely.

Hummetroth emerged with renewed intent after the restart, but Friedberg stretched their lead in the 55th minute. Noel Knothe, a summer signing from Kickers Offenbach, collected a cleared corner and drilled a low shot from 16 metres into the net for 3–1. "We didn't defend set-pieces consistently," lamented Hummetroth coach Tino Lagator.

Amid Agha gave Hummetroth hope in the 61st minute, capitalising on a defensive error to make it 2–3. The hosts pushed hard for an equaliser — Lagator later said they were "very close to 3–3". Philipp Bagus made two vital saves to preserve Friedberg's lead. Vetter acknowledged: "Philipp saved us twice."

With one minute of normal time remaining, substitute Ferdinand Scholl produced a fine solo run and finished to make it 4–2, sealing the result. Friedberg could have added more on the counter, with Yehor Korobskyi shooting wide with an open goal at his mercy.

• Toni Reljic (Friedberg): Two goals in two minutes before half-time — a header from a corner and a composed counter-attack finish. Exactly the kind of 30-goal-a-season threat his reputation carries. Player of the Match.
• Noah Michel (Friedberg): Provided the assist for Reljic's second goal and was a constant outlet in transition.
• Giuseppe Signorelli (Hummetroth): Scored after 110 seconds with a powerful header and led the line gamely throughout.
• Philipp Bagus (Friedberg): Two crucial saves when the score was 3–2 kept Hummetroth from equalising.
• Noel Knothe (Friedberg): Scored on his competitive debut for the club with a crisp 16-metre strike.

The provider data recorded 5 goals in the match, though a sixth (Scholl, 89') was not captured in the official events feed. Friedberg's three-goal burst between the 42nd and 55th minutes accounted for 75% of their total, illustrating how decisively they seized control. The half-time turnaround from 0–1 to 2–1 was the statistical heart of the game: Friedberg scored twice from just two shots on target in that window. Hummetroth's shot at a comeback after Agha's 61st-minute strike was thwarted by Bagus's saves rather than any structural defensive solidity. The match was played in Pfungstadt rather than Hummetroth's usual home in Erbach due to scheduling conflicts.

Friedberg sit joint top of the early Hessenliga table with three points and a healthy goal difference — exactly the start a pre-season title favourite expects. Hummetroth are in the bottom half after one match, already under mild pressure after a Hessenpokal exit the previous week. "It was another 50-50 game that we lost," Lagator said.

Next up for Friedberg is a home fixture against Rot-Weiß Walldorf on 8 August 2026. Hummetroth travel to TuBa Pohlheim (FC Turabdin Babylon) on 9 August, needing to remedy the defensive lapses that undid their bright opening.

A match that swung on two minutes either side of half-time. Hummetroth matched their fancied opponents for long stretches but lacked the composure in both boxes that Friedberg's experienced side brought. Vetter's side proved why pundits tipped them for promotion; Lagator's men showed enough to suggest they can trouble mid-table sides, but two costly minutes cost them a deserved point.

📺 Watch the goals from Matchday 1 in the LOTTO Hessenliga 2026/27 season, including the five (or six) goals from this fixture, in the official round-up.

Hummetroth: Leonhard — Hamm, Mladenovic (Karaj 58'), Zehnder, Dogan (A. Somow 58'), Knezevic (Akkus Rodriguez 75'), Metzler, Götze (Klein 83'), I. Somov (Gräf 83'), Agha, Signorelli

Friedberg: Bagus — Nsandi (Korobskyi 70'), Knothe, Filges, Bhatti — Scholl — Siebert (Böger 62'), Solak (Jost 77'), Reljic (Henrich 70'), Faqiryar (Flauzino 82') — Michel

Referee: Walter (Orlen). Attendance: 150 (per FNP) / 200 (per Echo Online).