3. Liga's conclusion: Preußen Münster secure promotion while Regensburg head for playoffs
Sasha Hildmann's Westphalian Eagles were able to take care of business relatively early against opponents SpVgg Unterhaching in their season finale. The result sends third-placed SSV Jahn Regensburg to the playoffs.
SC Preußen Münster join 3. Liga champions SV Ulm 1846 as the second side to earn direct promotion to the 2. Bundesliga this year. The Westphalian club entered the final match-day in Germany's third professional footballing division with a chance to control their own destiny. A win against visiting SpVgg Unterhaching would prove sufficient to keep them above third-placed challengers SSV Jahn Regensburg. Sasha Hildmann's team delivered.
Early goals from Sebsatian Mrowca and Marc Lorenz gave the hosts a 2-0 leaf in the 17th-minute. The Eagles were able to maintain this advantage thanks to the fact that Patrick Hobsch missed from the penalty spot in the 53rd and Markus Schwabl was sent off on a red card in the 66th. With 67 total points taken from the campaign, Münster are back in the 2. Bundesliga for the first time since being relegated after the 1990/91 campaign.
Münster spent nine years in the 3. Liga between 2011 and 2020 without ever being able to crack back into the second division. They were only just promoted back to the 3. Liga prior to this season. That was also the case with their fellow new 2. Bundesliga entrants Ulm. Regensburg - who dropped their season finale to Saarbrücken - were relegated from the second division last year.
There wasn't much else to be decided on the final 3. Liga matchday. Regensburg and Münster both began the day out of reach of any potential other promotion aspirants. The four-team relegation set had also been decided. SC Freiburg II, Hallescher FC, MSV Duisburg, and VfB Lübeck are all headed back down to the fourth tier. Lübeck spent just one season in the third division.