Darmstadt recovers quickly: Furious Fortuna makes a perfect start

Fortuna Düsseldorf underpins the expectation of being a promotion favorite in the 2nd Bundesliga this season.

Darmstadt recovers quickly: Furious Fortuna makes a perfect start

Fortuna Düsseldorf underpins the expectation of being a promotion favorite in the 2nd Bundesliga this season. Coach Daniel Thioune's team defeated SC Paderborn in a wild duel. SV Darmstadt 98 can also celebrate on the 2nd matchday.

Promotion contender Fortuna Düsseldorf has temporarily stormed to the top of the table in the 2nd Bundesliga. Coach Daniel Thioune's team prevailed 2-1 (2-1) in an offensive exchange of blows with SC Paderborn and made the perfect start with six points from two games. Pole Dawid Kownacki (2nd) gave Fortuna an early lead in front of 22,634 spectators, Felix Platte (21st) equalized for East Westphalia. Scorer Rouwen Hennings (30th) shot the hosts to victory with his second goal of the season.

Both coaches did not change their starting formation after the successful start of the season. Paderborn, first leaders of the new season after beating Karlsruher SC 5-0, missed a good chance to take the lead after just a few seconds through newcomer Sirlord Conteh and got the cold shower: Kownacki scored ice-cold after preparatory work by Shinta Appelkamp. Both teams then acted with open visors, Hennings countered Platte's equalizer from close range. After the change of sides, the game flattened out a bit, Düsseldorf concentrated on counterattacking and brought the home win over time.

Darmstadt 98 scored the first points of the season in the sold-out stadium at Böllenfalltor. Last year's promotion candidate defeated SV Sandhausen 2-1 (1-1) on the second matchday and is back on track a week after the false start against Jahn Regensburg (0-2). Braydon Manu (9th) and Marvin Mehlem (55th) scored for the lilies in front of 13,620 spectators. The SVS, which had started the season with a surprising 2-1 win against Arminia Bielefeld, who had been relegated to the Bundesliga, only managed to equalize temporarily thanks to Alexander Schirow (24th).

Darmstadt were clearly the better team at first and deservedly took the lead when strong Manu used a blackout in the visitors' defense and hit the right angle. Out of nowhere, however, Sandhausen managed to equalize through Schirow, who had been inconspicuous up to that point. After the break, Manu then put the 2-1 up in an exemplary manner for Mehlem.