Desert Rats FC Season preview.
Desert Rats start their 18th season at Level 11, having won the League in the previous season, their sixth such success in a row. The Management, seeing an evening kick-off for his charges in the Cup 1st Round, spent a while reconstructing the midfield and defence in a bid to restore the fortress-like image presented in earlier seasons. To this end, 6 players from last season's squad have left, and five new players have been signed on. The season initial squad is as follows:
In the Champions League, having been dumped out of last seasons competition at the Round of 16 stage, the Rats have three friends in the competition and two in their group.
Their first match saw four of the new recruits on the bench as the previous season's first XI took on a -40%Q team in the home Leg of the Cup 1st Round tie, and three of them saw some match time as the Rats won 4-1 to book, barring a disastrous performance in the 2nd Leg, a place in the next round. Striker Eros Martorelli had the privilege of netting the first goal in the new season, firing home from long range in the 32nd minute. Central defender Madalin Vlasiu got onto the end of a Martorelli cross seven minutes later to increase the lead, and midfielder Moritz Maiwald finished off a cross from Patrick Tillmanns on the other wing to give the hosts a 3-0 half-time lead. The visitors pulled a goal back early in the second half, but the Rats cruised through the second half, Maiwald adding a final goal from the penalty spot with 9 minutes to go to make the final score 4-1.