Fortuna Düsseldorf beat VfL Bochum 2-1 to open the 24th round of the 2. Bundesliga, while Dynamo Dresden secured a 3-1 victory over SV Darmstadt 98 in a separate fixture.
At the Merkur‑Spiel‑Arena, the hosts took a steady lead. In the 45th minute, Cedric Itten finished a right‑wing cross with a header to put Düsseldorf ahead 1-0. The advantage was extended in the 57th minute when Florent Muslija fired a precise long‑range shot into the bottom corner, making it 2-0. Bochum, however, refused to quit. Managerial change saw Farid Alfa‑Ruprecht replace a player and he cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 79th minute after Oliver Olsen’s pass, setting up a tense final spell. Despite several offensive tweaks, the visitors failed to add another goal.
In the Rudolf‑Harbig‑Stadion, a chaotic period in the first half tipped the game in favour of the home side. Vincent Vermeij opened the scoring for Dresden on the 45th minute with a headed finish, and just two minutes later he doubled the tally with a direct shot from the centre of the box, putting the game at 2-0. Darmstadt was reduced to ten men following a red card to Patric Pfeiffer, which left them under heavy pressure. In the 81st minute, Christoph Daferner capitalised on a rebound to make it 3-0. Darmstadt’s Yosuke Furukawa got a consolation goal from a set‑piece at the 90th minute, but the match ended 3-1. Dresden’s win will help them in the fight to maintain their league status, while Darmstadt missed an opportunity to apply further pressure in the promotion race.
