Essen/Jena, April 27, 2026 – In the fight for survival in the Frauen-Bundesliga, the footballers of FC Carl Zeiss Jena have suffered a severe setback. The hard-fought basement duel against SGS Essen ended in a narrow 3-4 defeat for the Thuringian side.
- Competition: Frauen-Bundesliga
- Result: SGS Essen 4:3 FC Carl Zeiss Jena (Half-time 2:1)
- Jena goals: Rieke Tietz (37′), Melina Reuter (61′), Helen Börner (72′)
- Essen goals: Ella Touon (6′, 58′), Jacqueline Meißner (8′, 56′)
- Table situation: Jena remains bottom of the table, 7 points behind a non-relegation spot with three games remaining.
Turbulent game with many goals
The hosts from Essen got off to a significantly better start and took an early lead through goals from Ella Touon and Jacqueline Meißner. However, Jena showed morale and fought back to 2-1 through Rieke Tietz before the half-time break. After the restart, the Essen side extended their lead again with two more quick goals. Although Melina Reuter and Helen Börner made the game exciting again in the final phase, the bottom-of-the-table team failed to score the equalizer. Match winner for Essen was Ella Touon with two goals and two assists.
Bleak prospects for Jena
With this defeat, relegation is drawing ever closer for FC Carl Zeiss Jena. With only three matches remaining and a maximum of nine points to be awarded, the gap to a non-relegation spot is already seven points. SGS Essen, on the other hand, was able to stop a sporting downward spiral with the home win after four consecutive defeats and collect important points in their own relegation battle. Essen now only needs three points to reach Hamburger SV in twelfth place.
The Frauen-Bundesliga in Jena: Women’s football has a long tradition in the Lichtstadt. The roots lie with the former FF USV Jena, whose playing rights were later transferred to FC Carl Zeiss Jena. Home matches are usually played at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld. Relegation to the 2. Bundesliga would mean a significant cut and require a sporting fresh start for the first women’s team.
Source:
SGS Essen wins basement duel against Jena
Transparency note: This article was automatically created, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.