Schermbeck's efficiency in front of goal decided this friendly against Kleve, as they turned a higher share of possession and more frequent attempts on goal into a 4-2 victory. The match produced six goals but was ultimately shaped by Schermbeck's sharper conversion rate. The Lemeister model had projected a 2-1 home win and gave Schermbeck a 41 per cent chance of victory, a prediction that broadly aligned with the final outcome, albeit with more goals than expected. The scoring began early, with S. Jansen putting Kleve ahead in the 15th minute. Schermbeck responded through I. A. Kiyau S. in the 24th minute, and R. Kukava added a second in the 41st minute to give the hosts a 2-1 lead at half-time.
The second half saw Kleve equalise in the 57th minute through an unassisted goal, briefly restoring parity. But Schermbeck's reply was swift and decisive. B. Parada scored in the 63rd minute to regain the lead, and J. Jann followed up just four minutes later in the 67th minute to complete the scoring at 4-2. The game contained no cards and no substitutions, proceedings flowing uninterrupted for the full 90 minutes.
The statistical story underlined Schermbeck's superiority in almost every attacking metric. They registered 17 shots to Kleve's 10, a margin that reflects their sustained pressure in the final third. Shots on target painted an even clearer picture: Schermbeck placed 10 of their attempts on frame, while Kleve managed only five. Expected goals data confirmed the quality of the chances created: Schermbeck accumulated 3.4 xG against Kleve's 1.8, meaning the home side both created higher-value opportunities and converted them more efficiently than their opponents. In possession, Schermbeck held 56 per cent of the ball to Kleve's 44 per cent, allowing them to dictate the rhythm of the contest. Their passing accuracy stood at 81 per cent to Kleve's 74 per cent, and they completed 421 passes to the visitors' 292. Both sides took four corners each, reflecting spells of pressure from either team, though the shot and xG data indicate that Schermbeck's corner entries were generally more productive.
The player ratings highlighted individual contributions on both sides. For Schermbeck, B. Parada earned the highest rating on the pitch with an 8.4, his goal and consistent involvement marking him as the standout performer. J. Jann, who scored the final goal, received a 7.9, while R. Kukava was rated 7.8. I. A. Kiyau S. scored the equaliser but was rated 6.6, suggesting his overall influence on the game was less pronounced than his goal might imply. For Kleve, S. Jansen, their first-half scorer, received a solid 7.5 rating, the only visiting player with a notable individual mark.
The result gives Schermbeck an encouraging start to their pre-season schedule, demonstrating the ability to recover from an early setback and convert chances with regularity. For Kleve, the performance showed attacking promise in getting on the scoresheet twice, but defensive vulnerabilities and a difficulty maintaining parity after equalising will be areas to address. In the context of a friendly, the key takeaway is that Schermbeck's attacking efficiency was the defining factor, as the expected goals and shot data all pointed to a deserved home win. The Lemeister model's pre-match read of a narrow Schermbeck victory was accurate in outcome, though the volume of goals exceeded the projected 2-1 margin, reflecting the open nature of the contest.
