Fortuna Düsseldorf has achieved an important victory in the planned race to catch up in the Bundesliga.

One day after coach Daniel Thioune's contract was extended to 2025, Fortuna scored a deserved but difficult 3-2 (2-1) against the penultimate 1. FC Magdeburg.

As a result, the Düsseldorfers improved to fifth place for at least one night and will end the first round of the second half of the season in sixth place.

Magdeburg is at risk of falling to last place on Sunday if Sandhausen scores in Bielefeld.

Shinta Appelkamp scored Düsseldorf's acclaimed winning goal six minutes before the end.

Dawid Kownacki, who missed a penalty he was responsible for in the 6th minute, had previously turned the game around with two goals (9th/34th) in favor of Fortuna after the early deficit by Moritz Kwarteng (7th).

But Kwarteng equalized with his second goal (59th).

After that, Daniel Heber, who was brought in from Essen in the winter, made two saves on the line for Magdeburg, but then Appelkamp still scored.

Paderborn beats Karlsruhe

Meanwhile, SC Paderborn won the duel with Karlsruher SC with a last-minute goal.

The East Westphalians won 1-0 (0-0) and celebrated their first win after five league games and since October last year.

Striker Robert Leipertz only scored the winning goal in injury time (90+2).

Under the eyes of 15,151 spectators in the Karlsruhe wildlife park, including 2,000 Paderborners who traveled with them, the guests of coach Lukas Kwasniok got more out of the game overall.

Leipertz failed twice in the first half within a few minutes - first by KSC keeper Marius Gersbeck (21'), then his header was taken back for offside (23').

Neither team made much progress in the second half either.

KSC had the best chance, but Marvin Wanitzek was unable to punish a bad pass from Paderborn's defender Uwe Hünemeier, and was saved free-standing by Paderborn's keeper Jannik Huth (73').

In added time, the guests managed to score the decisive goal.

With 29 points, Paderborn is keeping up with the promotion ranks and is only four points behind third place.

Karlsruhe, on the other hand, continues to fall into the crisis, is now without a win in seven games and, with 18 points, is only one point ahead of a direct relegation zone.