Darmstadt defeats Fortuna Düsseldorf and takes the lead in the 2. Bundesliga

In Saturday's match of the 22nd round of the 2. Bundesliga, SV Darmstadt 98 defeated Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 at home. This victory was crucial for the promotion race, as it allowed the team from Hesse to return to the top of the table, overtaking FC St. Pauli. The match, watched by over 17,000 spectators at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor, was thrilling and full of twists. The visitors suffered a shock even before the match when defender Jorrit Hendriks de Wijs made his first start for Fortuna. His debut lasted only 21 minutes. The Dutchman suffered a serious knee injury after a collision with the hosts' striker, Mathias Honsak. The incident evoked great sympathy, and the player himself had to leave the pitch on a stretcher, replaced by Andre Hoffmann. Despite this blow, Fortuna took the lead first. In the 32nd minute, after a good individual effort, Shinta Appelkamp beat goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen, scoring into an empty net. The visitors' lead did not last long. Already in the 40th minute, from a corner taken by Emmanuel Iyawa, Clemens Riedel headed in the equalizer. In the second half, the hosts pressed for the decisive goal. This paid off in the 74th minute when, after another corner (this time taken by Fabian Holland), Luca Pfeiffer headed past Florian Kastenmeier, giving Darmstadt a 2-1 lead. Fortuna was unable to respond to the hosts' attacks, despite desperate attempts to change the score in the final minutes of added time. „I’m very disappointed and very angry. We led 1-0 but we couldn’t hold the result. That really hurts.” (I’m very disappointed and very angry. We led 1-0 but we couldn’t hold the result. That really hurts.) — Florian Kastenmeier The 2. Bundesliga is the second-highest division in the German football league system. It was founded in 1974. Promotion to it, as well as relegation, means significant financial and sporting changes for clubs. SV Darmstadt 98 has had spells in the Bundesliga in its history, most recently in the 2016/17 season. Fortuna Düsseldorf has also been in the top flight, most recently in the 2019/20 season.Fortuna Düsseldorf's defeat is another blow to its promotion ambitions. Coach Daniel Thioune's team dropped in the table and got stuck in mid-table, losing touch with the top. Meanwhile, Darmstadt's victory confirms its good form and determination in the fight to return to the Bundesliga. The hosts' coach, Torsten Lieberknecht, welcomed the three points that bring his team closer to achieving its goal. 2. Bundesliga matchday results (21-22.02.2026): Darmstadt 98 2:1 Fortuna Düsseldorf; Karlsruher SC 3:0 Hansa Rostock; 1. FC Kaiserslautern 2:2 SC PaderbornCurrent top of the 2. Bundesliga table (after 22 matchdays): 1. SV Darmstadt 98 — +16; 2. FC St. Pauli — +18; 3. Holstein Kiel — +14; 4. Hamburger SV — +7The key factor turned out to be the set piece, from which Darmstadt scored twice. The match also lacked consistency in refereeing. In the 27th minute, Clemens Riedel from Darmstadt fouled Fortuna's Kristoffer Petersen, but the referee did not even show him a yellow card. This decision was criticized by the visitors. Despite the defeat, Fortuna's goalkeeper, Florian Kastenmeier, made several good saves but could not prevent his team from losing. For Fortuna, this is the second consecutive defeat, forcing serious reconsideration of its goals for the season.