Düsseldorf come from behind to beat Nuremberg

Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 Nuremberg

Goals: 0-1 Löwen (41’), 1-1 Ewerthon o.g. (63’), 2-1 Ayhan (83’)
Red card: Pereira (4’)

Der Club were winless in 16 matches coming into the game, but a gutsy 0-0 draw against the league leaders Borussia Dortmund on Monday would have given them huge confidence at the Merkur Spielarena. However, when midfielder Matheus Pereira was sent off for violent conduct in only the fourth minute, the visitors’ best-laid plans were thrown into disarray.

Fortuna looked to make the most of the man advantage and were soon peppering Christian Mathenia’s goal as Matthias Zimmermann, Kaan Ayhan and Dodi Lukebakio all drew saves out of Nuremberg's No1. Yet it was the visitors, who broke the deadlock before the break when Eduard Löwen's sweetly-struck volley nestled in the bottom corner.

Mathenia was again called into action after the restart, but Nuremberg’s luck ran out just after the hour-mark when Ewerthon headed into his own net from Lukebakio’s cross. The home crowd found their voice again as Fortuna pushed for a winner against a visibly tiring Nuremberg. When the winner came, it was a simple one, Ayhan applying the finish touch to Kevin Stöger’s whipped free-kick. The result leaves Der Club bottom of the table, while Friedhelm Funkel’s climb to 12th on the back of a significant step towards safety.

Watch: Lukebakio: Düsseldorf's main man

• Der Club took the lead in a league game for the first time since Matchday 9 against Eintracht Frankfurt, and for the first time away from home all season.
• Löwen’s goal was his first in the Bundesliga and came with his 14th effort on goal.
• Nuremberg have had four players sent off this season, the joint-most in the division alongside Stuttgart and Schalke.
• Pereira’s sending off was also the quickest red card shown to a Nuremberg player in the club’s Bundesliga history.
• Mathenia is yet to finish on the winning side in a league match in 22 encounters.
• All three of Ayhan's goals this season have come from set-pieces.
• Five of Düsseldorf's last six wins have come against teams below them in the standings. The other was at home to Dortmund.
• Fortuna are the only team other than Borussia Mönchengladbach yet to draw a home league match this season (W6, L6).
• Nuremberg have taken just two points from a possible 30 away from home. Along with Hannover, they are the only team still to win on their travels in 2018/19.
• Der Club have now equalled their longest ever winless run (17 Bundesliga matches).

Fortuna: Drobny – Zimmermann, Ayhan, Kaminski, Gießelmann – Lukebakio, Stöger, Morales, Raman (Usami 79’) – Kownacki (Hennings 62’), Karaman (Ducksch 62’)
Unused subs: Theißen, Hoffmann, Fink, Barkok
Out: Bodzek (stomach muscle), Contento (knee), Sobottka (ligaments), Zimmer (ankle)
Coach: Friedhelm Funkel

Nuremberg: Mathenia – Valentini, Mühl, Ewerton, Leibold – Petrak – Kubo (Misidjan 46’), Löwen, Behrens (Jäger 79’), Pereira – Zrelak (Ishak 68’)
Unused subs: Bredlow, Bauer, Kerk, Erras
Out: Goden (muscular), Lippert (knee), Rhein (suspended), Margreitter (muscular)
Interim coach: Boris Schommers