Preußen Münster made a statement on their return to the third league with a 3-1 victory over Rapid Wien in the opening round of the regular season on Saturday. The visitors took control from the first quarter-hour and never looked back, moving to fifth in the table while the hosts remain rooted to twentieth. It was a result that reflected the gulf between sides that had shown very different trajectories in their recent fixtures.
Münster struck first through M. Ndikom in the twenty-eighth minute, a moment that shifted the complexion of the game. By then Wien had already weathered two early cautions, J. Janitzek and R. Preissinger both picked up yellow cards before the visitors opened their scoring. And here's the thing — the home side lost their shape at the break, a change that Münster exploited ruthlessly when M. Flotho converted a penalty in the thirty-seventh minute.
Wien pulled one back through M. Schulz in second-half stoppage time, but the damage had been done. The hosts had seen their attacking momentum stall, with two more yellow cards for W. Adeh and J. Gillekens adding to the frustration. Preußen Münster held on grimly despite a late substitution for R. Johansson, knowing the three points would set the tone for their campaign.
The statistics tell a story of control rather than dominance. Both sides shared possession evenly at 50 per cent, but Wien's six shots on target yielded just one goal while Münster's four on target produced three. And here's the thing — the efficiency gap was stark, with the visitors converting twice from penalties to compensate for fewer clear-cut chances overall.
Wien's position at the bottom of the table now looks precarious after four games without a victory. They sit on two points from four matches, with two draws and two defeats to their name. Preußen Münster, meanwhile, move up to fifth with seven points from four games and two wins, one draw and one loss. The result will make life awkward for the home side as they look to climb away from the relegation battle.