Rouwen Hennings and Kenan Karaman inspire Fortuna Düsseldorf comeback win over Schalke
Rouwen Hennings and Kenan Karaman both scored in the space of five minutes to inspire Fortuna Düsseldorf's comeback win over Schalke on Wednesday after USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie had opened the scoring.
Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 Schalke
Goals: 0-1 McKennie (53'), 1-1 Hennings (63'), 2-1 Karaman (68')
Neither of these sides had won a game since the Bundesliga's restart, and it was the home side with the bit between their teeth to change that record in the first half. Fortuna enjoyed 70 per cent of the ball through the first period, which helped them test Markus Schubert in the Schalke goal. Karaman did that first, but it was Daniel Caligiuri who had the game's first chance after 21 minutes as he broke through the Fortuna defence, but Florian Kastenmeier denied him the opening goal. Erik Thommy forced a good save from Schubert after half-an-hour with Schalke looking to use the counter to their advantage with the pace of Rabbi Matondo – who was clocked at a rocket-propelled 36km/h (22.3mph) in the first half – always a threat.
The home side remained in control of the ball in the second half, but not the scoreline. Bastian Oczipka whipped a free-kick into the Fortuna box and USMNT star McKennie thundered a diving header beyond Kastenmeier to put Schalke ahead. Fortuna stayed on top of things despite falling behind and levelled just 10 minutes later. Schubert couldn’t control Kevin Stöger's long-range free-kick and Hennings rose above Matija Nastasic to head the ball into the net. And just five minutes later, the game was turned around as Karaman poked the ball beyond Schubert after Thommy's cross wasn't dealt with by the Schalke defence. Jonjoe Kenny made an outstanding last-ditch block on the line to deny Steven Skrzybski a goal against his parent club late on, but it was not enough to earn Schalke any points.
Match stats
- Hennings has now scored four goals against Schalke this season after his hat-trick in the reverse fixture which ended in a 3-3 draw.
- This strike was Hennings' first of 2020.
- Karaman has scored five goals in his last five league games.
- Fortuna's last come-from-behind win in the Bundesliga came in February 2019, against Nuremberg (2-1).
- Fortuna duo Skrzybski and Bernard Tekpetey are on loan from Schalke, but are both yet to score for their temporary employers.
- Fortuna coach Uwe Rösler lost just once as a player against Schalke 04 (W3, D2, L1) and they were the opponents when he registered his first ever Bundesliga goal back on 2 November 1991 for Dynamo Dresden.
Watch: McKennie: "We just have to keep fighting"
Line-ups
Fortuna: Kastenmeier - Zimmermann, Ayhan, Hoffmann, Suttner (Gießelmann 70')- Stöger, Sobottka (Bodzek 61') – Berisha (Morales 81'), Karaman, Thommy - Hennings (c) (Skrzybski 81')
Unused subs: Rensing, Fink, Ofori, Jorgensen, Zimmer
Out: Steffen (knee)
Coach: Uwe Rösler
Schalke: Schubert - Kabak, Sane, Nastasic - Kenny, McKennie, Schöpf, Oczipka - Caligiuri (c) (Kutucu 74'), Burgstaller (Gregoritsch 74'), Matondo (Todibo 85')
Unused subs: Nübel, Miranda, Boujellab, Becker, Thiaw, Mercan
Out: Harit (ligament), Mascarell (groin), Serdar (shin), Stambouli (match fitness), Todibo (ankle)
Coach: David Wagner
Watch: Hennings: "Great to complete the comeback"
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