Bundesliga
Fortuna's fine run continues as they near the top half of the Bundesliga table; Dawid Kownacki, Dodi Lukebakio and Benito Raman firing them to a 4-0 win at Schalke where the hosts clearly missed their star USA midfielder Weston McKennie.
Schalke 0-4 Fortuna Düsseldorf
Goals: 0-1 Lukebakio (35'), 0-2 Kownacki (62'), 0-3 Raman (68'), 0-4 Kownacki (84')
A nervy start at the Veltins-Arena burst into life courtesy of VAR, with Fortuna Düsseldorf first denied and then handed the lead by the system. Clear-cut chances were few and far between until Lukebakio raced onto Raman’s through ball and coolly fired into the bottom corner midway through the first half. The forward celebrated what he thought was his eighth league goal of the campaign before VAR stepped in and adjudged Raman to have fouled Amine Harit in winning back possession before releasing Lukebakio. Düsseldorf would have VAR to thank for putting their noses in front ten minutes later, though, as the technology found Matija Nastasic to have handled in the area, allowing Lukebakio to slam home undisputed from the spot and put Friedhelm Funkel’s side in front at the break.
The hosts started the second period much brighter, camping in the Düsseldorf half in the early going. They had a golden opportunity to take the lead but Harit was superbly denied by the onrushing Michael Rensing when through on goal. Schalke were made to pay for that miss on the hour mark as Kownacki confidently lifted the ball beyond Alexander Nübel after being found by Raman’s perfectly weighted through ball. Soon after they had a third and the Fortuna front three were all on the scoresheet; Lukebakio turning provider, laying on Raman who unleashed a thunderous strike into the top corner. And with six minutes to go, the host's misery was complete as Kownacki swept home a fourth.
Schalke: Nübel – Sane, Nastasic (Skrzybski 45'), Bruma - Caligiuri, Stambouli (c), Bentaleb, Mendyl – Uth (Embolo 77'), Harit – Burgstaller (Kutucu 61')
Unused subs: Fährmann, Mascarell, Konoplyanka, Rudy
Out: Serdar (suspended), Schöpf (knee), Oczipka (toe), McKennie (thigh)
Coach: Domenico Tedesco
Fortuna: Rensing – Zimmermann, Ayhan, Kaminski, Gießelmann – Sobottka (Hoffmann 71'), Fink (c) – Lukebakio (Ducksch 86'), Barkok, Raman (Usami 76') – Kownacki
Unused subs: Thießen, Karaman, Suttner, Hennings
Out: Morales (suspended), Drobny (hand), Wolf (concussion), Zimmer (ankle), Wiesner (shoulder), Contento (cruciate ligament), Stöger (illness), Bodzek (muscle)
Coach: Friedhelm Funkel