96 wins for the first time, wild ride in Düsseldorf
After a botched start to the season so far, Hanover was looking for their first second division win under Stefan Leitl, while Jahn Regensburg wanted to jump back to the top of the table with three points. However, the hosts got off to a much better start, taking control of the game early on and scoring a few goals. However, there were no great opportunities. The guests from Bavaria resorted to defensive work and occasional counterattacks, which initially also posed no great danger. Shortly before the half-time break, SSV Jahn could have taken the lead twice. However, Prince Osei Owusu first shot Ron-Robert Zieler (36′), then the keeper kept the upper hand in this private duel with a strong foot defense (45’+2′). In the meantime, the supposed goal for 0:1 by Andreas Albers was not recognized because of an offside position by Owusu.
With a bit of luck, the hosts went into the changing rooms without a goal despite a decent performance. After the change of sides, Regensburg remained the visually more dangerous team, although most of the action took place between the penalty areas. Hannover meanwhile spoke up with a set piece, Sebastian Kerk tried to take a corner that was aimed directly at goal, but Dejan Stojanovic was not able to surprise it (64th). It also became dangerous for Regensburg after a dead ball, Zieler made a strong save against Jan Elvedi from a tight angle (75′).
When, as the game went on, there was little to suggest that either side would score a winner, the ball suddenly found itself in Regensburg’s net. Definitely significant: Antonio Foti’s shot probably wouldn’t have landed on goal, but Steve Breitkreuz unfortunately maneuvered it into his own net (83′). The first goal of the season for Jahn should be included in the statistics as an own goal. The guests then ran again, but it was the Lower Saxony who made the more dangerous shots. Sebastian Kerk missed the reassuring 2-0 twice with distance attempts when injury time had already begun.
Nothing concrete came forward from Jahn Regensburg, so that the guests had to accept their first defeat of the season. Hannover 96 emerged as the happy winners, but the fighting performance was always right.
Lots of Discussion Material in Düsseldorf
In Düsseldorf, SpVgg Greuther Fürth was concerned with avoiding a total false start as they were relegated from the top flight, while the host Fortuna had their sights set on the top group in the table. The Rhinelanders initially made the better impression and could have taken the lead with a shot by Marcel Sobottka (9th) or a header from the crossbar by Andre Hoffmann (12th). Aluminum also hit Nicolas Gavory from a free kick (32′). Shortly thereafter, after a foul on Rouwen Hennings, there was a chance from the penalty spot, but the foul found its master in cloverleaf keeper Andreas Linde (35th). After his foot defense, Hennings followed up with unfair means, hit the goalkeeper in the head and caused a cut under the eye, which took a long time to be treated. Five minutes before the break, the ball was suddenly in the Düsseldorf net, but Tobias Raschl’s goal was denied because Ragnar Ache allegedly fouled it. However, it was still 0-1 before half-time: Julian Green put a remarkable through to Branimir Hrgota, who unerringly defeated Florian Kastenmeier in Fortuna’s box (43′).
Judging by the odds ratio, the guests had to be more fortunate at the break, but the home side seemed a bit disconcerted by the missed shot at eleven yards. In the second half, the cloverleaf started with Leon Schaffran as the new keeper, Linde was apparently too badly affected by his facial injury. Düsseldorf did not initially give the substitute too much work. He had to intervene for the first time when a cross from Henning’s Daniel Ginczek almost missed (54′). The efforts of the home team could not be denied, but they lacked the creativity and precision that would have been needed to outwit the close-meshed defense bulwark of the Fürth. As is well known, good standards help in such cases, and that’s how the equalizer came about: A powerful header from Hoffmann after a cross from Shinta Appelkamp’s half-field was initially not recognized due to an alleged offside position, but according to video evidence the goal had to count to make it 1-1 (65th). With the hit in the back, Düsseldorf stayed on the trigger and used the next standard to lead. Kristoffer Peterson took a corner from the right, Dawid Kownacki climbed the highest and headed in to make it 2-1 (72′).
Immediately after the restart, Kastenmeier had to save against substitute Dickson Abiama, showed a strong one-handed save. Fürth stayed on the ball and, after intensive video study, was awarded a penalty after Ao Tanaka elbowed the ball. Hrgota stepped up and casually tied the brace (78th). As a result, Fürth went on the defensive to take the point. Düsseldorf invested more on the way forward but rarely created any real opportunities.
In the six-minute stoppage time, the game was in the area where a so-called lucky punch would have been necessary to win. Both sides failed to do so, so the game ended in a draw. SpVgg Greuther Fürth could certainly live better than Fortuna Düsseldorf after the course of the second half.
St. Pauli Settles Things Early
After the impressions of the first match days, the match between FC St. Pauli and 1.FC Magdeburg promised a lot in terms of football. Initially, it was mainly held by the Hamburgers, who were rewarded early on for a strong start. After a pass by Leart Paqarada, Johannes Eggestein found himself in a shooting position in the penalty area, his precise attempt with the left went into the far corner (3′). The summer shopping ensured a double lead a good ten minutes later. This time Manolis Saliakas crossed from half field into the centre, where Eggestein headed in from quite a distance (14′). Magdeburg could almost have answered quickly, but Jackson Irvine saved decisively against Connor Krempicki (17th). All in all, the guests struggled noticeably before the break, Eggestein almost made the preliminary decision with the hat-trick, but first hit the crossbar (30′) and then missed the ball (33′).
So it went with the deserved leadership of the Kiezkicker in the catacombs. Christian Titz reacted in the second half with a triple substitution, and Magdeburg could see right after the restart that the promoted team was still hoping for something countable. Amara Conde and substitute Moritz Kwarteng missed the connection with resounding long-range shots that shook the post of the St. Pauli goal (46′, 49′). Keeper Dennis Smarsch still had a decisive hand in the game when Kwarteng tried. But the hosts also had chances, David Otto, who had just been brought in, missed the decision from a central position by aiming too high (56th). A flick from Paqarada could have made it 3-0, but Dominik Reimann was wary (65′). St. Pauli had survived the really big pressure phase from Magdeburg, and there was hardly anything to indicate a late comeback before the collapse of the final phase. Instead, Marcel Hartel ensured the final calm, after a pass from Lukas Daschner, the midfielder was through and confidently pushed in to make it 3-0 (77th).
It stayed that way, also because Connor Metcalfe let the 4-0 win after strong preliminary work from Daschner. FC St. Pauli also celebrated a well-deserved success. 1.FC Magdeburg simply left too many defensive gaps to hope for a point.