Second division facet Fortuna Düsseldorf set the stage for promotion to the Bundesliga with a dominant efficiency within the first leg of their relegation at VfL Bochum.
Fortuna defeated VfL 3-0 (1-0) on the Ruhrstadion on Thursday (May 23, 2024) and due to this fact has one of the best likelihood to return to the primary division subsequent Monday (8:30 pm, stay ticker at sportschau.de) to make it clear. The man of the match that evening was Christos Tzolis from Greece, who began Philipp Hofmann’s personal aim within the thirteenth minute and 2-0 by Felix Klaus (64) and 3-0 by Yannick Engelhardt (72).
In the stands, former Bochum native and esteemed fan Leon Goretzka was upset to tug off the VfL jersey – however the Bayern star, who was overlooked of the European Championships, was no fortunate appeal.
Düsseldorf’s Thioune: “The staff was brutally good”
Fortuna midfielder Marcel Sobottka then informed “Sat1”: “We are solely at halftime, if we are able to rating three targets in Bochum, they’ll do the identical for us. We can take pleasure in tonight, however then now we have to resume and do effectively once more with precisely the identical depth within the second leg.”
Andreas Kramer, Sportschau, May 23, 2024 11:13 pm
Fortuna’s coach, Daniel Thioune, praised Tzolis as “excellent” and mentioned: “What my staff did at the moment is brutally good. But he additionally warned: “The journey just isn’t over but. Bochum beat Bayern Munich and are the final German staff to beat Bayer Leverkusen – so we want the identical perspective now on Monday.”
Bochum defender Keven Schlotterbeck admitted: “It’s troublesome after the 3-0 defeat, however we are going to repair our issues on Monday – we do not wish to be relegated like that. We really did a whole lot of issues effectively within the first half, however after 0:2 it would not work anymore.”
A crafty Tzolis with a magical nook
Bochum clearly dominated the primary ten minutes of the sport, Düsseldorf needed to regulate and was already ready to assault. However, the second division staff went forward with a stroke of genius. In the thirteenth minute, Tzolis bent a nook from the left in direction of the left contained in the submit, the place the ball hit Hofmann’s decrease leg.
Celebrations for Fortuna Düsseldorf’s 1-0 win after a Christos Tzolis nook
The VfL ahead wished to sign with a wave that there was no extra hazard, however he was fully fallacious: the ball rolled in direction of the Bochum aim, the place substitute goalkeeper Andreas Luthe was sadly and unnecessarily off the road – and in consequence the suspended consultant Manuel Riemann didn’t cease the Kullerball in entrance of him.
Bochum’s Bernardo fails at work
The individuals of Bochum reacted with anger and demanded a solution instantly. They nearly went forward two minutes later at 0-1, however Bernardo missed his excellent header on aim – Florian Kastenmeier within the Fortuna aim would have had no likelihood.
Bochum at all times dominated the sport, however Maximilian Wittek was offside when he scored the equalizing aim (16′), and Kevin Stöger beat the staff 5 minutes later with a free-kick.
Andreas Kramer, Sportschau, May 23, 2024 11:11 pm
Fortuna can also be secure and opportunistic
After about half an hour, Bochum’s stress decreased slightly, Fortuna settled once more and even had two probabilities to increase the lead. After a lightning assault, Tzolis failed because of a very good block by Felix Passlack.
In the second half, Bochum tried to extend the stress once more, however Fortuna remained very harmful: within the fiftieth minute, Luthe did a very good job making an attempt to cease Felix Klaus’s shot hanging from the best, and the next nook. from Tzolis, the Greeks circled straight into the field and, the VfL goalkeeper needed to get up.
Fortuna counterattack from the textbook
And Tzolis, the one who seems Norwich City on mortgage from Fortuna with an choice to purchase, he wasn’t achieved along with his intelligent bits this night. After successful the ball in their very own penalty space, Fortuna began the subsequent battle within the sixty fourth minute and completed it like a textbook: Tzolis rode down the left after which he handed the Bochum defender completely to Klaus, who was on a excessive assault. proper – Luthe from brief vary The distance left no likelihood.
After that there was nothing from VfL, Düsseldorf labored arduous to make the difficulty very clear within the first leg. That was profitable – once more Tzolis opened the way in which: He rounded a free kick across the wall about 20 minutes earlier than the top, Luthe put it ahead, the place Engelhardt needed to push the ball into the empty aim.
Andreas Kramer, Sportschau, May 23, 2024 10:46 pm
Double aluminum prevents the fourth aim
And it might have been worse for VfL. All defensive boundaries had been damaged when Klaus was denied by Luthe within the 82nd minute: The goalkeeper bent the ball that was bent till it hit the submit after which jumped onto the sector. Soon after, Luthe additionally needed to save from Tzolis, who actually wished to reward his efficiency with a aim – however that was all he couldn’t try this evening.
It was clear within the 89th minute in the long run that, regardless of all their efforts, nothing would work for the Bochum staff: a man-made shot from Bernardo previous a confused Kastenmeier hit the aluminum once more.