Fortuna Düsseldorf fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to come back and earn a huge point at home against Schalke.
Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. Schalke: Final score 2-2, Düsseldorf fights back to earn draw
Düsseldorf showed no quit in fighting back for a 2-2 draw.
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The first chance of the match fell to Düsseldorf’s Dani Schahin after just five minutes. Tobias Levels sent in a low cross, and Schahin dove and headed it at the goal. Schalke breathed a sigh of relief as Lars Unnerstall watched the ball go just wide of the target.
Düsseldorf had gone the first five matches of the season without allowing a goal, but none of that matters to Klaas Jan Huntelaar. The Dutch striker brought down a long pass from Benedikt Höwedes before turning and ripping a left footed shot past a diving Fabian Giefer. Düsseldorf’s streak of shutting out their opponents ended at 453 minutes.
Schalke made it 2-0 after only twenty minutes. Christian Fuchs sent in a free kick deep into the Düsseldorf penalty area, and Joel Matip headed it past Giefer to make it 2-0 in favor of the visitors. Welcome to Earth, Düsseldorf.
Almost all of the remaining time in the first half was played in the Düsseldorf half of the pitch. In rare forays into Schalke territory, the ball was generally intercepted and brought back up the field. Düsseldorf’s problem was very simple.
The hosts pulled one back just after halftime for only their fifth goal scored on the season. Andriy Voronin’s corner kick was expertly flicked over the head of Unnerstall by Schahin. With only their second attempt on goal in the entire match, Düsseldorf were right back in it.
Giefer came up huge over the next ten minutes to keep his side in the match. In the 53rd minute, Giefer fell the ground and saved a shot from Lewis Holtby with his feet. Seven minutes later the goalkeeper makes a diving save on a shot from Ibrahim Afellay after the midfielder broke through the Düsseldorf defense.
Düsseldorf began to push forward with numbers and nearly equalized in the 67th minute. Johannes van den Bergh’s cross was flicked on by Schahin, but there was no one making a run to the far post. If there was a player there, it’s 2-2.
They kept plugging away looking for the goal to tie the match and, would you know it, Schahin is the man to find it. After having the connection just miss in the first half, Levels sent another cross into the penalty area. Schahin headed it to the far corner of the goal past an outstretched Unnerstall to equalize in the 77th minute.
Both sides began to throw numbers forward looking for a winner in what was sure to end in an unmitigated disaster for one of the teams. As the referee blew the final whistle, the Düsseldorf coaches, players and supporters celebrated the huge point earned as if it was a victory.
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