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Schalke's Derry-John Murkin in a duel

Photo: Eibner press photo / Marcel von Fehrn / Eibner / IMAGO

Four days after being eliminated from the DFB Cup, Fortuna Düsseldorf won the 2nd Bundesliga. Fortuna managed a 2-0 (1-0) win against Eintracht Braunschweig. FC Schalke 04 lost a lead at Hannover 96 in the final phase and the game ended 1-1 (1-0). The bottom of the table, VfL Osnabrück, scored an early goal against Greuther Fürth and ultimately won 2-0 (2-0).

With their fourth league win in a row, Fortuna pushes Hamburger SV out of third place and now has six points less than second place Holstein Kiel. Schalke is three points ahead of a direct relegation zone and is 13th in the table. Although Osnabrück remains at the bottom, the gap to 16th place, which would mean relegation, is reduced to six points.

The closer the break came, the more Fortuna showed why they had remained unbeaten in seven league games in a row before the game. The hosts combined forward on the right side, but Felix Klaus' cross into the six-meter area was cleared by the Braunschweig defenders (21st minute). When Fortunen made it 1-0, they came too late: two Düsseldorf players involuntarily extended a cross from the left into the backcourt to Klaus, who scored from a central position (42').

At the beginning of the second half, Braunschweig's Florian Krüger received a header from close range on the arm. Referee Florian Badstübner looked at the scene on the video screen and decided on a penalty. Christos Tzolis converted (55th) – it was his seventh goal in his fifth league game. In the final phase, substitute Johan Gomez from Braunschweig narrowly missed the goal (78'), but Düsseldorf's victory was no longer in danger.

After a few seconds, 96 goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler had to intervene for the first time and parried a volley from Paul Seguin. Schalke remained the braver team and took the lead thanks to an individual action by a 17-year-old: Assan Ouedraogo, who became U17 world champion in December, shook off his opponent in midfield and let another one slide into space. He completed his solo run with a low shot into the far corner (17th minute).

Schalke then withdrew and went for a counterattack, Hannover couldn't find a way through. After the break, 96 approached the opponent's goal through striker Nicolo Tresoldi, but his header sailed well over the goal (49th). The guests were defensively compact and were rarely challenged by Hannover - until a strange own goal. Former Schalke player Cedric Teuchert drove the ball across half the field. Midfielder Seguin tried to stop him on the edge of the penalty area, but placed the ball into his own goal (81'). Hannover was close to turning the game around, but Schalke goalkeeper Marius Müller made an excellent save against Tresoldi (86').

Osnabrück continues to work on the miracle: the bottom of the table got their fourth win from six games against Greuther Fürth. The home team took the lead in the third minute: Robert Tesche dribbled to the baseline, kept track of the Fürth defenders and passed into the backcourt, where Erik Engelhardt slotted in (3rd minute). The 2-0 also came from Osnabrück's right side. The hosts won the ball in the opponent's half and quickly switched gears. Bashkim Ajdini brought the ball flat into the middle and Christian Joe Conteh just had to push it over the goal line (21').

Osnabrück remained dangerous through counterattacks. Fürth lacked the ideas and pace to create gaps in their dense defense. In the second half, the guests approached the Osnabrück goal (46th), but the score remained 2-0.