bundesliga

Dodi Lukebakio and Jean Zimmer on target as Fortuna Düsseldorf stun Borussia Dortmund

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Fortuna Düsseldorf became the first team to beat Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga this season as they battled to a superb victory over the leaders at the Merkur Spiel-Arena on Tuesday night.

Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

Goals: 1-0 Lukebakio (22'), 2-0 Zimmer (56'), 2-1 Alcacer (81')

Fortuna had picked up just their third win of the season against Freiburg on Saturday, but the 16th-placed side began confidently against the leaders, with Dodi Lukebakio and Takashi Usami going close. Dortmund produced a solitary moment of magic in the first half, with Marco Reus drilling home after neat interplay with Mario Götze and Christian Pulisic, but the goal was ruled out after the American strayed offside. Düsseldorf then took a deserved lead as Jacob Bruun Larsen was caught in possession and Kevin Stöger released Lukebakio, who raced away from Manuel Akanji and Abdou Diallo before slamming in his seventh goal of the season. Usami should have doubled the hosts' advantage before the interval but somehow failed to find the target from Jean Zimmer's inch-perfect cross.

Zimmer then fired in a goal of the season contender to double Fortuna's advantage early in the second half, picking up the ball outside the area and rifling an unstoppable effort into the top corner. Lucien Favre reacted by throwing on Jadon Sancho and Paco Alcacer, and it was the Spaniard who gave the leaders hopes of a dramatic comeback with around 10 minutes to go, as he headed in Lukasz Piszczek's cross for his 12th goal of the campaign – the 10th from the bench. It simply wasn't to be though, and the writing was on the wall when Diallo picked up a knock late on, once BVB had already made their three changes. Düsseldorf held on to claim three precious points, cutting Dortmund's lead at the top to six points before they host second-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday.

Jean Zimmer (r.) scored a long-range stunner as Fortuna Düsseldorf became the first team to beat Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga this season. - Maja Hitij/Bongarts/Getty Images

Match stats

  • Lukebakio's opener was the earliest goal Düsseldorf have scored in the Bundesliga this season.
  • The Belgian U21 international is up to seven goals for the campaign. The most he had previously managed was three in 19 Belgian League appearances for Charleroi in 2017/18.
  • Zimmer's sensational goal was his first in the Bundesliga, in his 16th top-flight appearance.
  • Alcacer set a new Bundesliga record by becoming the most prolific substitute in a single season, with already his 10th goal from the bench.
  • The Spaniard also extended his lead at the top of the scoring charts. He now has 12 in total, two more than Reus, Luka Jovic, Robert Lewandowski and Timo Werner.
  • Before tonight, Dortmund had won four games this season from losing positions.

Line-ups

Fortuna: Rensing – Zimmermann, Ayhan, Kaminski, Gießelmann – Sobottka (Bodzek 70'), Fink (c), Stöger – Zimmer, Lukebakio (Hennings 88'), Usami (Raman 87')
Unused subs: Thießen, Ducksch, Karaman, Bormuth
Out: Contento (cruciate ligament)
Coach: Friedhelm Funkel

Dortmund: Bürki – Piszczek, Akanji (Toprak 46'), Diallo, Schmelzer – Witsel, Delaney (Alcacer 60') – Pulisic, Reus (c), Bruun Larsen (Sancho 60') – Götze
Unused subs: Hitz, Hakimi, Guerreiro, Weigl
Out: Zagadou (foot)
Coach: Lucien Favre

Click here to find out how the action unfolded!