Fortuna Düsseldorf came a little closer to promotion in the 2nd league with a win at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Thanks to three goals in eight minutes, the team is third, at least for now.
Over 46,000 spectators on the Betzenberg couldn’t believe it: Despite taking the lead for a while and a long, stable performance against Fortuna Düsseldorf, 1. FC Kaiserslautern ultimately lost 1:3 (1:0). While the Rhinelanders continue to be involved in the promotion battle with this energetic performance and pushed out Hamburger SV (playing at Greuther Fürth on Sunday), coach Friedhelm Funkel’s team is deeply stuck in the relegation battle.
“This victory is important. We struck coldly in the second half and were then able to show a few emotions at 3-1,” said Fortuna coach Daniel Thioune in the Sportschau interview. His team has now scored 13 points in the last five games. “This is how a team plays that is in a constant process and has defended well in the last few weeks.”
Düsseldorf with a lot of possession, Kaiserslautern with the goal
The Lauterers actually showed a well-organized game with a strong defense right from the start. There were no chances to score for a long time. In the 26th minute, the “Red Devils” managed to break through down the left side. Marlon Ritter used a cross from Redondo to take the lead 1-0 (26th minute). The Düsseldorf team, who had been disappointing until then, had a lot of possession of the ball, but hardly any ideas – and above all, no opportunities to score.
“We played a very, very good game and were deservedly in the lead for a long time – and then Fortuna fought back in the style of a class team,” said Lautern coach Friedhelm Funkel, who led Düsseldorf to promotion to the Bundesliga in 2018 and now is supposed to protect the FCK from going into the 3rd league.
Fortuna strikes mercilessly against Lautern
In the second half, the Rhinelanders tried to increase the pressure, but initially they remained harmless. For a long time, the Funkel team had little trouble keeping Fortuna away from their own goal.
But then coach Daniel Thioune’s team struck suddenly and ruthlessly: Jona Niemiec broke through on the right side and passed the ball in front of the Lauter goal, where Christos Tzolis only had to push in to make it 1-1 (74th). And as soon as the ball was back in play, Fortuna cheered again.
Marius Müller, Sportschau, March 30, 2024 4:36 p.m
Tzolis with the second goal for Düsseldorf
This time Zimmermann hit the ball high from the sideline into the center, where attacker Shinta Appelkamp volleyed the ball at the far post and hit it under the crossbar to make it 2-1 (76th).
That’s still not enough. Six minutes later, Yannick Engelhardt had too much space in midfield and lobbed between two Lauter players into the path of Tzolis. The Greek went around Lautern’s goalkeeper Robin Himmelmann and easily put the ball into the net to make it 3-1
Marius Müller, Sportschau, March 30, 2024 4:41 p.m
Kaiserslautern against HSV, Fortuna against Braunschweig
Kaiserslautern will be in action against Hamburger SV on the next matchday (Saturday, April 6th, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.). Düsseldorf meets Braunschweig a day later.