Fortuna Düsseldorf boost survival hopes with comeback draw at RB Leipzig
Fortuna Düsseldorf came from two goals down to draw with third-placed RB Leipzig and secure a potentially pivotal point in their bid for Bundesliga survival.
RB Leipzig 2-2 Fortuna Düsseldorf
Goals: 1-0 Kampl (60'), 2-0 Werner (63'), 2-1 Skrzybski (87'), 2-2 Hoffmann (90'+2)
Above the automatic drop zone in the relegation play-off spot on goal difference alone, Fortuna nearly shot themselves in the foot early on when Zanka played an necessary back-pass to Florian Kastenmeier. Kevin Kampl went to ground under the Düsseldorf goalkeeper's challenge just as he was about to pull the trigger, but match referee Manuel Gräfe was unmoved. After Rouwen Hennings shot narrowly wide with Fortuna's best sight of the Leipzig goal, the hosts were indebted to Kastenmeier for going in level at the break after a smart double save from Marcel Halstenberg's stinger and Werner's follow-up attempt. Zack Steffen's understudy came up trumps once more to thwart Werner on the stroke of half-time.
Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann shuffled his pack at the start of the second period, with defender Dayot Upamecano and AS Roma loanee striker Patrik Schick on for Konrad Laimer and Christopher Nkunku. Schick headed over from a corner, before Kampl collected a pass from Upamecano, rode a clutch of challenges on his way into the Fortuna box and placed an unstoppable effort into the far corner of Kastenmeier's goal. Leipzig doubled up from a similar position, with Halstenberg laying the ball off for Werner to drive home with his habitual aplomb. Steven Skrzybski reduced the arrears out of nothing, however, to set up a grandstand finale, which didn't disappoint. Deep into added time, Andre Hoffmann headed in Zanka's flick-on to rescue an unlikely draw that moves Fortuna one point clear of 17th-placed Werder Bremen, with their fate firmly in their own hands going into the final two rounds of fixtures.
Match stats
- Leipzig have drawn their last five home games in a row.
- Werner has a league second-best 26 goals this season. Mario Gomez was the last German national to score as many single-season Bundesliga goals (2011/12).
- Kampl scored his second goal of the season. Seven of his nine Bundesliga goals have been for 1-0.
- Fortuna ended an eight-game run without a point against top-five opposition.
- Hoffmann has scored four Bundesliga goals - all headers.
- Skrzybski opened his Fortuna account at the ninth time of asking.
Watch: Hennings: "We always stand together"
Line-ups
Leipzig: Gulacsi - Adams, Klostermann, Halstenberg, Angelino - Sabitzer (c) (Haidara 82'), Laimer (Upamecano 46'), Kampl, Nkunku (Schick 46') - Olmo (Forsberg 63') - Werner (Lookman 76')
Unused subs: Mvogo, Orban, Upamecano, Konate, Haidara, Forsberg, Lookman, Schick, Mukiele
Out: Ampadu (back), Poulsen (ankle)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Fortuna: Kastenmeier - Ayhan, Hoffmann, Jorgensen - Zimmer (Zimmerman 66'), Bodzek (Thommy 75'), Berisha (Sobottka 66'), Morales (Stöger 82'), Suttner - Skrzybski, Hennings (c) (Karaman 66')
Unused subs: Wolf, Kownacki, Ofori, Thommy, Stöger, Bormuth
Out: Barkok (knock), Fink (calf), Gießelmann (suspended), Steffen (knee), Wiesner (ankle)
Coach: Uwe Rösler
Watch: Olmo: "This is not over yet"
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