Highlights
D. Schlager
90'
+ 9
FULL-TIME: FORTUNA 2-3 BREMEN
Josh Sargent's two goals help Bremen to their first win of the season, but what an effort from Düsseldorf and their fans. A sensational football game - you will not see a better one all weekend!
Full-time
90'
+ 6
BREMEN WIN IT - SURELY?!
From hero to villain! Narey is adjudged to have brought down Agu in the box. Sargent wants it, but Maxi Eggestein takes the ball and places his penalty just out of Kastenmeier's reach. That has to be that...
90'
+ 4
FORTUNA ARE LEVEL!!!!
They've done it! A long ball is knocked down into the path of Khaled Narey, who takes a touch a drives into the top corner, beyond the despairing dive of Zetterer. The Merkur Spiel-Arena erupts!
90'
+ 2
WINDING DOWN THE CLOCK
Eren Dincki and Christian Groß are on for the final minutes, moments after Sargent had played in Schmid for a shot that was too close to Kastenmeier.
90'
+ 1
Substitution
90'
+ 1
Substitution
90'
TIME ADDED ON
Four additional minutes at the Merkur Spiel-Arena...
87'
FINAL ROLL OF THE DICE
Christian Preußer throws on Messrs Lobinger, Nedelcu and Koutris. His players are out on their feet - can they summon one last push?
86'
SCHMID!
Fortuna are hanging on as Schmid cuts onto his left foot, before stinging the palms of Kastenmeier with a fierce strike from inside the penalty area.
85'
Substitution
85'
Substitution
85'
Substitution
82'
SARGENT DENIED HAT-TRICK
Josh Sargent has the ball in the net from close range, but it won't count. Yuya Osako had strayed offside at the start of the turnover.
80'
SituationNo goal
ReviewOffside?
DecisionNo goal
78'
TACTICAL FOUL
Dawid Kownacki shows Romano Schmid a clean pair of heels. He gets tugged back for his efforts. The Bremen culprit knew exactly what he was doing there.
77'
SCHMIDT MAKES WAY
The Bremen fans are on their feet - Niklas Schmidt has put in a fantastic shift. Kevin Möhwald is on for the final 13 minutes or so. Can Bremen see out the win?
77'
Substitution
72'
WORTH A GO
Appelkamp tries his luck from range, but it's meat and drink for Zetterer.
© Eibner-Pressefoto via www.imago-images.de/imago images/Eibner
71'
CH-CH-CH-CHANGES
After Felix Agu replaces Niclas Füllkrug for Werder, Shinta Appelkamp and Dawid Kownacki enter the fray in place of Fortuna's Jakub Piotrowski and Kristoffer Peterson. Positive from Düsseldorf...
69'
Substitution
69'
Substitution
68'
ARGY-BARGY
There's a coming together between Rouwen Hennings and Ömer Toprak. Players wade in to separate the pair, who are booked for the kerfuffle.
68'
Substitution
65'
SARGENT AT THE DOUBLE!
Talk about the commentator's curse! Schmidt's long-range effort is deflected behind for a corner, which he bends over to the far post. Sargent towers above his marker with a textbook striker's header - down into the ground and into the back of the net. Bremen lead again!
63'
LULL?
It's been a visual and aural spectacle, but the tempo has dropped a touch out on the pitch. Hardly a surprise, mind - it's been hell-for-leather stuff for the most part!
59'
THE MAIN MEN
Shots
3
3
Rouwen Hennings Joshua Sargent
58'
BODZEK BOOKED
Fortuna's captain is cautioned after impeding Yuya Osako. He can have no complaints with that decision.
49'
HENNINGS ON FIRE, YOUR DEFENCE IS TERRIFIED
That's three goals in two games to start the season for Hennings...
47'
FORTUNA ARE LEVEL!
What a start to the second half! Marco Friedl pushes up and leaves Khaled Narey all alone on the right-hand side. He takes a look up and swings a ball in towards the six-yard box, where Rouwen Hennings stretches ahead of Ömer Toprak to level. Very smart finish - and a deserved equaliser!
Kick-off!
© Uwe Kraft via www.imago-images.de/imago images/Uwe Kraft
45'
+ 2
HALF-TIME: FORTUNA 0-1 BREMEN
Josh Sargent's first goal of the season is the difference at the end of an absorbing first half of Bundesliga 2 football. The US striker took his chance with aplomb, but Düsseldorf will count themselves desperately unfortunate to be trailing. Don't go anywhere!
Half-time
45'
RAINING CATS AND DOGS
It's bucketing it down in Düsseldorf now. Shoot-on-sight kind of weather...
42'
FRIEDL BOOKED
Marco Friedl is the first Bremen player to go into the book after kicking the ball away.
41'
BREMEN TURNING THE SCREW
The excellent Schmidt is at it again, but his pass into the danger zone is snuffed out by Kastenmeier. Fortuna were caught out there.
40'
SARGENT BREAKS THE DEADLOCK!!!
Josh Sargent scores his first Bundesliga 2 goal. Florian Kastenmeier can't keep hold of Romano Schmid's curling strike. Sargent controls the follow-up with his right shoulder, and slams low and hard into the net from just inside the Fortuna area. There's a VAR check for handball, but it stands. Superb goal!
38'
SituationGoal
ReviewHandball?
DecisionGoal
36'
KEENLY CONTESTED
Bremen have grown into the game in the last 15 minutes or so. They're pressing effectively and restricting the forward passes that were causing them so much trouble earlier in the half, whilst threatening as an attacking unit, Niklas Schmidt being the standout.
33'
TALE OF THE TAPE II
33'
TALE OF THE TAPE
Goal attempts
5off target
1on target
2off target
0on target
29'
DENIED!
Bremen's best chance by far. Niklas Schmidt is the architect with a brilliant run off the right. He takes out two Fortuna players before cutting the ball back to the penalty spot for Niclas Füllkrug. His first touch takes a defender out of the game and opens up the shot, which is blocked in front of his goalkeeper by Edgar Prib. Vital, absolutely vital!
25'
PETERS-ON THE VOLLEY!
Wide from the Swedish winger following a fine Zimmermann cross. Düsseldorf continue to carry the greater threat in attack.
23'
SARGENT THREAT
Whenever Bremen attempt to find Sargent, Fortuna have two men on the US international. Although not yet the most prolific goalscorer, he's one of the most hard-working front men in the business. And at almost 6'1", he's no pushover.
© Ulrich Hufnagel via www.imago-images.de/imago images/Ulrich Hufnagel
19'
CLOSE!
Edgar Prib chances his arm from range, but Zetterer has it covered. The Bremen custodian is beaten moments later, but Piotrowski's header from a Harthertz cross drops the wrong side of the upright.
16'
SARGENT MAJOR
This time Bremen do find Sargent scampering in behind. The American nicks the ball away from Florian Kastenmeier and threatens to put the ball into the empty net, only to be dispossessed by the recovering Fortuna stopper, who's unhappy at Sargent's initial challenge. A peep of the referee's whistle proves he is fully vindicated. Kastenmeier had two hands on the ball.
15'
YELLOW CARD
Niklas Schmidt is caught late by Peterson. The Fortuna man goes into the referee's little black book, but the resultant free kick has too much on it for Josh Sargent in the opposition box.
12'
FORTUNA LIVELY
A long ball is played over the top of the Werder defence from the right-back position, but Zetterer beats Shipnoski to it. Düsseldorf come again through Peterson, whose left-wing cross is hooked away. The hosts have their tails up...
8'
SPECULATIVE
Kristoffer Peterson shifts in off the left, before bending a fierce effort past the upright. Zetterer was never in any difficulty in the Bremen goal, but the Swede's effort is applauded all the same.
4'
WING PLAY
Bremen are looking to attack up their left-hand side in the early stages, with Marco Friedl bombing up from left-back. The Fortuna shirts are doing their job, though, roared on by a vociferous home crowd.
1'
HERE WE GO!
Fortuna all in red, Werder in their change strip of white with green trim. This should be a cracker!
Kick-off!
ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERE!
Listen to that roar! Up to 18,000 fans have been allowed in to the Merkur Spiel-Arena, and they're all making a right racket!
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
Werder were winless in five trips to Düsseldorf, before recording a 1-0 win in Germany's fashion capital on Matchday 18 of the 2019/20 season. It was their sixth victory in 24 games on Fortuna soil. They've lost 12 of them. This is the first meeting between the sides in Bundesliga 2.
2:03
SARGENT MILESTONE
'IT DOESN'T MATTER IF WERDER ARE PROMOTION FAVOURITES'
Fortuna boss Christian Preußer told media earlier in the week that Bremen's pre-season billing is of little significance. "We have to play our own game," he explained. "That means being bold and have more possession than we did in Sandhausen. It doesn't matter if Werder are promotion favourites. We have the quality and we want to show it."
A TALE OF TWO STRIKERS
In the red corner, Rouwen Hennings. In the Green-White corner, Josh Sargent. Hennings has made over 500 appearances in a playing career spanning almost 20 years, while Sargent is embarking on his third full campaign as a pro. The Fortuna veteran has hit 158 goals in that time, including 73 in 242 Bundesliga 2 outings. Bremen's US frontman has registered 13 in 82 matches in the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and DFB Cup. Both players will be key to their respective employers' hopes today, and in the season ahead.
FORTUNA TEAM NEWS
Fortuna coach Christian Preußer makes five changes to the side that beat Sandhausen. Dragos Nedelcu, Leonardo Koutris and Shinta Appelkamp drop to the bench, while Felix Klaus and Marcel Sobottka miss out with knocks. Adam Bodzek, Florian Hartherz, Jakub Piotrowski, Nicklas Shipnovski and Khaled Narey come in.
BREMEN TEAM NEWS
Marco Friedl and Romano Schmid replace Anthony Jung, whose other half is expecting, and Felix Agu, who starts this one on the bench. Otherwise, it's the same team from Markus Anfang that kicked off the new campaign a week ago.
FORTUNA STARTING LINE-UP
Kastenmeier - Zimmermann, Klarer, Bodzek (c), Harthertz - Shipnoski, Piotrowski, Prib, Narey, Peterson - Hennings
FORTUNA SUBS
Wolf, Koutris, Nedelcu, Oberdorf, Appelkamp, Ofori, Sieben, Kownacki, Lobinger
BREMEN STARTING LINE-UP
Zetterer - Mbom, Mai, Toprak (c), Friedl - M. Eggestein, N. Schmidt, Schmid - Osako - Sargent, Füllkrug
BREMEN SUBS
Dos Santos Haesler, Agu, C. Groß, Park, Gruev, Möhwald, Dinkci, J. Eggestein, Woltemade
THE TABLE
Fortuna can go level on points with early pacesetters Karsruher and Regensburg with a win. Three points for Bremen could lift them as high as fourth.
FORTUNA FAVOURS HENNINGS
Düsseldorf kicked off their campaign with a 2-0 win in Sandhausen. Rouwen Hennings scored both goals, the 33-year-old picking up where he left off after netting nine times last term and 15 in the Bundesliga back in 2019/20.
WELCOME!
Bremen's first game back in Bundesliga 2 ended in a 1-1 draw with Hannover last time out. How will the Green-Whites fair on the road at Fortuna Düsseldorf? Stay tuned to find out...