Downs hits winner as Saints secure friendly victory over Eintracht Braunschweig

SAINTS made it two wins from two to start their pre-season preparations with a 1-0 victory at German second division side Eintracht Braunschweig.

Damion Downs, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Hamburg, was played through on goal and the striker past two Braunschweig players before stabbing it into the back of the net after 35 minutes.

It was a lively atmosphere created by a sea of yellow and blue home fans, apt for a Saints match, while a small number of travelling fans in red and white tried to make themselves heard in the opposite corner.

Head coach Tonda Eckert named two separate XIs as Saints look to continue building their players' fitness with the Championship opener at Watford just over three weeks away.

The first half team included Downs and Leo Scienza, who were both denied by late tackles in the penalty area as Saints started strongly, passing the ball quickly and efficiently.

It was the former who broke the deadlock just after the half-hour mark as great work from Flynn Downes led to a clever ball from Lewis Dobbin, who saw the striker played through on goal, beating the offside trap.

Downs took the ball past the Braunschweig goalkeeper and then the last defender before tapping the ball into the back of an empty net.

Lovely move for our opener 😎 pic.twitter.com/VieuKzp9v7

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) July 24, 2026

The hosts should have equalised soon after as Kevin Ehlers rose highest to a corner delivery but saw his effort sail narrowly over the crossbar.

Jack Stephens also had a decent chance from a corner at the other end, also seeing his effort go a couple inches higher than he would have liked.

The second Saints XI saw Shea Charles get his first minutes of pre-season since his extended break following Northern Ireland duty earlier in the summer.

Academy prospects Nick Oyekunle and Romeo Akachukwu, who both scored in last weekend's 3-1 friendly win at Eastleigh, also featured in what was a quieter half.

Cameron Archer, who was industrious throughout, came whiskers away from doubling Saints' lead early minutes into his appearance.

Tom Fellows went on a bustling run, and the winger's cut back found Archer in the box, but his shot was deflected centimetres wide of the far post.

Akachukwu made an impressive account of himself once again and forced Ron-Thorben Hoffmann into an acrobatic save with an effort from distance.

In what was a half of limited clear opportunities, Archer again had the best chance to score the second goal, forcing a low save.

Come the end, Downs' goal was enough to seal the win for Eckert's men, who made it two wins from two to start pre-season for 2026/27.

A total of 29 players have travelled to Germany for the training camp, with 22 getting 45 minutes in their tanks.

Saints will spend the next week training in Germany before taking on third division side Preußen Münster on Saturday, August 1.

Saints: Peretz; Roerslev, Harwood-Bellis, Stephens, Welington; Downes, Bragg, Brereton Diaz, Dobbin, Scienza; Downs.

Saints: Long; Bree, Wood, Quarshie, Manning; Charles, Matsuki, Fellows, Archer, Akachukwu; Oyekunle.