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They tried everything.

Again and again, the Düsseldorfer came dangerously into the Bochum penalty area.

Dawid Kownacki (7th), Kristoffer Peterson (8th, 34th) and Rouwen Hennings (52nd) gave the best opportunities to reward the great effort.

They fired 18 shots in the 90 minutes at the Bochum goal.

In the end, however, it was not enough to be a success.

Fortuna lost the top game with 0: 3 (0: 2) against VfL, who in the end could thank him for his efficiency on the offensive and an outstanding Manuel Riemann for the 16th win of the season and the return to first place.

The goalkeeper became the man of the game with his saves.

And that despite the fact that he had to master two difficult situations.

The goalkeeper suffered an ankle injury early on.

"The pain was brutal in the first few minutes, then it was a bit better for 15 minutes - and the second half was an absolute disaster," reported Riemann after the final whistle.

The pain follows on landing: Manuel Riemann catches the ball in front of Düsseldorf's André Hoffmann

Source: dpa / Roland Weihrauch

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At the first Düsseldorf chance of the game, he twisted his right foot after a trapped flank ball.

The fact that he decided to forego a substitution was due to the mortgage that had already entered the game.

Minutes of commemoration after the final whistle

His grandfather died on Sunday.

Hans Humpa, a founding member of the Bundesliga as a player from 1860 Munich, had taught his grandson to play football at TSV Ampfing and was 81 years old.

Riemann informed Bochum's coach Thomas Reis of this on Sunday, combined with the announcement that he wanted to play against Düsseldorf not despite, but precisely because of the death.

“He made me what I am today in terms of football,” revealed the 32-year-old after the game.

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In this respect, it was not an option for him to compensate for the possible ligament damage in the game with a substitution.

"It was absolutely clear that I couldn't go out after a few minutes because I played for him today," said Riemann.

Manuel Riemann is overwhelmed by his feelings after the final whistle

Source: dpa / Roland Weihrauch

Immediately after the final whistle, Riemann paused for minutes in his own penalty area, gazing at the Düsseldorf evening sky.

A moment of contact, memory and reverence captured by the TV cameras.

"It was incredibly important to me today to play through," said Riemann later.

The injury had at most influenced his passing game.

The numerous rescue acts with which he brought Fortuna to despair spoke for themselves anyway: "Thanks to Grandpa, I knew nothing could happen to me today because he is helping me."

Brutal efficiency: Soma Novothny is congratulated by her Bochum colleagues to make it 3-0

Source: dpa / Roland Weihrauch