COTTBUS, Germany (Interstat) — Energie Cottbus earned a 3-1 victory over Luckenwalde in a Reg. Cup Brandenburg match Wednesday at Stadion der Freundschaft.

Fran Villalba opened the scoring for the hosts in the 21st minute. Haret Ortega doubled Cottbus’s lead in the 50th, but Marcel Ruíz answered for Luckenwalde just three minutes later. A second-half goal secured the win for Cottbus.

The result defied a pre-game projection from Interstat, which had favored Luckenwalde. The match was physical, featuring eight yellow cards. Substitute Kevin Picón provided a key assist for Cottbus.

Both clubs now hold 1-1 records in the competition this season. Luckenwalde next plays at Einheit Bernau, while Energie Cottbus will host Krieschow.