Fortuna Düsseldorf sealed a comeback victory against Borussia Dortmund in a pre-season friendly at the Merkur Spiel-Arena on Saturday.
The 3. Liga hosts, who begin their competitive campaign against Waldhof Mannheim on 7 August, fell behind during the opening period but rallied after the interval to secure the win.
Match Summary
United States youth international Mathis Albert had put the Bundesliga visitors ahead in the first half, controlling Alexander Meyer’s long ball to score. The goalkeeper had captained the side in their previous warm-up fixture against Oberhausen, though Serhou Guirassy wore the armband for the first forty-five minutes on this occasion.
However, Dortmund’s plans were disrupted at the stroke of half-time when Luxembourg international Enzo Duarte suffered an injury. The incident forced manager Niko Kovac to introduce Jobe Bellingham earlier than anticipated.
Fortuna Düsseldorf turned the match around after the restart. New signing Fabian Schleusener found the net, before 19-year-old Anas Slimani, a former Morocco youth international, completed the scoring.
Squad Rotation and Absences
Kovac utilised 23 players throughout the contest as he continues to assess his options. The matchday selection blended youth and experience, with eighteen-year-old Takato Yamamoto again deployed in midfield and Ecuadorian Justin Lerma featuring prominently.
The Black and Yellows were without Felix Nmecha, Waldemir Anton, Maximilian Beier and Daniel Svensson. The quartet had only returned to training on Friday following World Cup duty and were rested as they rebuild fitness.
Pre-season Paths
The hosts enjoyed a more advanced stage of preparation than their top-flight opponents, with their league programme commencing in less than a fortnight. The fixture provided valuable match practice against elite opposition as they fine-tune their approach ahead of the 3. Liga opener.
The result leaves Dortmund with one victory from their opening two summer fixtures, having beaten Rot-Weiß Oberhausen in their first outing. The squad will now travel to Japan for a pair of friendly matches before competing in the Emirates Cup. Their competitive debut of the 2026/27 season arrives in the Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup against FC Bayern Munich.