Ulm's triumph is shrouded in concern, and fate delivers a significant, late-arriving resolution.
Kicking off the 7th round of the 2nd Bundesliga, Fortuna Düsseldorf secures a vital triumph. Much like the preceding week, the league leaders secure a decisive victory in the final stages of the game. In a basement struggle, promoted Ulm snatches three points - but experiences a major upset.
Greuther Fürth vs Fortuna Düsseldorf 1:2 (1:1)
Fortuna Düsseldorf brought an end to its losing streak at SpVgg Greuther Fürth and momentarily bolstered its position atop the 2nd Bundesliga. Managed by Daniel Thioune, the squad remained undefeated on the road, clinching a 2-1 (1:1) victory thanks to a late penalty kick.
Düsseldorf put an end to a string of eight consecutive defeats in Fürth. Challengers Karlsruhe SC, 1. FC Magdeburg, and SC Paderborn followed suit in the 7th round.
Isak Johannesson (90.+1) converted the decisive penalty in questionable circumstances. Earlier, Giovanni Haag (43.) had given Düsseldorf the lead, but a defensive slip-up allowed Dennis Srbeny (45.) to restore parity. Shortly after, Fürth's sporting director Rachid Azzouzi was shown a yellow-red card for protesting a free kick decision.
Düsseldorf commenced the match with confidence. David Kownacki (16.) and Jona Niemiec (26.) both spurned early opportunities, while Fürth also had their chances through Noel Futkeu (37.) and Branimir Hrgota (40.). Haag and Srbeny exchanged goals before the break.
In the second half, the teams generally neutralized each other until Nicolas Gavory (72.) missed a golden opportunity to make it 2-1 for Düsseldorf. Gavory managed to beat Fürth's goalkeeper Nahuel Noll, but missed an open net. Similar to their derby win against 1. FC Köln, Düsseldorf celebrated a late goal.
SSV Ulm vs Eintracht Braunschweig 3:1 (2:0)
Promoted SSV Ulm notched up its second consecutive win with a 3:1 (2:0) victory over Eintracht Braunschweig, gaining some breathing space in the lower half of the table. However, relief was tempered with worry over starting goalkeeper Christian Ortag, who sustained a serious injury and had to be carried off the pitch.
Romario Rösch (14.) opened the scoring from a failed clearance attempt by Braunschweig, and Maurice Krattenmacher made it 2:0 against the league's weakest defense in the 39th minute. Shortly after the break, Braunschweig's Sven Köhler (50.) was sent off for multiple fouls. Levente Szabo (76.) scored a consolation goal for the visitors, but Felix Higl (84.) converted a penalty kick to make it 3:1.
Both teams had celebrated their first victories of the season the previous week. Ulm's triumph was particularly meaningful: With the 3:1 away win against SV Elversberg, the Ulmers notched up a 2nd Bundesliga victory for the first time in 23 years.
The fixture between the newly-promoted side and relegation-threatened Braunschweig of last season started off with many inaccuracies. Ulm netted with their first shot on target. Krattenmacher chipped the ball just before the goal line into the penalty area, where it deflected off a defender into the empty net, where Rösch completed the finish. Thereafter, the action was sparse until the hosts scored a clinical counter-attacking goal.
A downer for Ulm in the second half was the removal of SSV goalkeeper Christian Ortag on a stretcher after he collided with a cross and potentially sustained a neck injury. He was replaced by Niclas Thiede, who made his second division debut. The game was extended by three minutes of additional time due to the lengthy stoppage, but following Ulm's third goal, Braunschweig had little left to offer.**
After securing their 2-1 victory against Greuther Fürth, Fortuna Düsseldorf continued their soccer success in the 2nd Bundesliga. In their next match, they hoped to maintain their momentum against a different opponent.
Some weeks later, Ulm's soccer team celebrated their second consecutive win, this time against Eintracht Braunschweig, extending their undefeated streak in their debut season in the 2nd Bundesliga.
