Arminia Bielefeld secured a dominant victory over Fortuna Düsseldorf in Saturday evening’s Bundesliga 2 match, winning 5-1 in front of their home crowd. The match was characterized by physical play and a significant shift in momentum throughout.
Fortuna Düsseldorf initially showed promise, with an early chance narrowly missing the goal in the 18th minute. Bielefeld’s first attacking foray didn’t materialize until the 30th minute, with a Schneider header sailing wide. A Rasmussen shot rattled the crossbar in the 33rd minute, followed swiftly by his assist for Itten, who capitalized on a well-placed through ball to open the scoring in the 35th minute.
However, Düsseldorf’s lead was short-lived. A series of fouls from Oberdorf, including a tactical foul that resulted in a second yellow card and subsequent red card in the 39th and 44th minutes respectively, put Bielefeld in a commanding numerical advantage. Bielefeld swiftly exploited the extra player, with Corboz delivering a cross to Sarenren-Bazee, who slotted the ball in for the equalizer in the 45th minute.
The second half saw further setbacks for Düsseldorf. A handball by Alexandropoulos inside the penalty area resulted in a penalty for Bielefeld, calmly converted by Kania in the 54th minute. A potential equalizer for Düsseldorf in the 58th minute was denied by a remarkable save from Russo, who palmed a spectacular lob away from the goal line.
Bielefeld extended their lead in the 75th minute through a corner kick, powerfully headed in by Felix. Another corner kick in the 78th minute further compounded Düsseldorf’s woes when a deflected effort landed at the feet of Grodowski, who tapped the ball over the line. Rossmann’s chance to reduce the deficit was thwarted by a strong save from Kersken, whose contract extension had been announced prior to the match. The final blow came in the 7th minute of added time, with substitute Schreck capitalizing on a deflection from a Handwerker shot to complete the emphatic victory.
The comprehensive win propels Arminia Bielefeld to the top of the Bundesliga 2 table, while Fortuna Düsseldorf begin the new season at the foot of the standings.
