Owner helps Fortuna digest the disaster of ascent
Fortuna Düsseldorf must start the 2. Bundesliga season by processing their missed promotion in the playoffs and begin with an away win. An own goal by opponent Darmstadt paves the way. Also, Kaiserslautern manages a win by turning the game in Ulm. Fürth defeats newcomer Münster clearly.
SV Darmstadt 98 - Fortuna Düsseldorf 0:2 (0:0)
Promotion hopefuls Fortuna Düsseldorf started the 2. Bundesliga season with a win, about two months after the playoff drama. Coach Daniel Thioune's team won 2:0 (0:0) against relegated Darmstadt 98, thanks in part to an own goal, and reinforced their ambitions.
Darmstadt defender Aleksandar Vukotic (55.) headed a free kick from Shinta Appelkamp into his own net, giving Düsseldorf a successful start. Tim Rossmann (86.) scored the second goal. Despite playing the last 16 minutes a man down after Othmane El Idrissi was sent off (84., after VAR), Darmstadt failed to win their season opener for the sixth consecutive time.
Düsseldorf, playing with a black armband for recently deceased youth player Newton Opoku-Mensah, started stronger. Felix Klaus (8.) missed a chance on goal. The game was uneventful, with Darmstadt becoming more active towards the end of the first half. After Vukotic's own goal, Düsseldorf's Florian Kastenmeier made a great double save to prevent an equalizer (68.). Rossmann then scored the 2:0 in extra time.
SSV Ulm - 1. FC Kaiserslautern 1:2 (0:0)
Promoted SSV Ulm narrowly missed an upset in their return to the 2. Bundesliga after 23 years. The sparrows, who had climbed from the Regionalliga to the 3. Liga last season, lost 1:2 (0:0) to DFB-Pokal finalists 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
Felix Higl (48.) scored for Ulm, who will face record champions Bayern Munich in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. Boris Tomiak (77.) scored from the penalty spot and Aaron Opoku (83.) turned the game in favor of Kaiserslautern.
In front of around 17,000 spectators at the Donaustadion, the visitors were the better team in the first half-hour, but couldn't convert it into a lead at halftime. Opoku missed a great chance to score the first goal for Kaiserslautern (46.). Higl then scored for Ulm. In the final stages, Kaiserslautern turned the game around.
Greuther Fürth - Preußen Münster 3:1 (1:1)
Preußen Münster's first appearance in the 2. Bundesliga in 33 years ended in defeat. The newcomers lost their season opener 1:3 (1:1) against SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Julian Green (25.) scored from the penalty spot, Dennis Srbeny (50.) and Gideon Jung (55.) scored for the hosts, while Malik Batmaz (41.) equalized briefly before halftime.
In a lively game, Fürth had a slight advantage from the start and benefited from VAR on their first lead. After a missed foul on Noel Futkeu, he intervened - and referee Richard Hempel corrected himself. Green set up Schenk, who had joined Münster on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich after his loan expired, and he scored calmly and centrally.
After that, the Franconians dominated the game, but it was the Prussians who scored. After a low cross from the right, Batmaz scored easily from close range at the far post. Shortly after half-time, Srbeny broke through in the box after a through pass and scored powerfully from the left into the right corner to give Fürth the lead again. Jung then headed in a free-kick cross shortly after.
In the context of the 2. Bundesliga season, promotion hopefuls Fortuna Düsseldorf faced relegated SV Darmstadt 98 and emerged victorious, with an own goal by defender Aleksandar Vukotic contributing to their 2-0 victory.
In their debut match in the 2. Bundesliga after 33 years, Preußen Münster suffered a 3-1 loss against Greuther Fürth, with Julian Green converting a penalty for the hosts, while Malik Batmaz briefly equalized for Münster before halftime.
