Form
Bottom of the table after 19 matches, Fortuna have been on a downward spiral since the beginning of the campaign. They have lost 12 of their 18 league games since beating Werder Bremen 3-1 on the opening weekend, picking up only three further wins as well as three draws.Fortuna last tasted victory in their final game before the winter break, when they beat Union Berlin 2-1 at home. However, last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen saw them slip to the foot of the table and signalled the end of Friedhelm Funkel’s reign as head coach. The 66-year-old was relieved of his duties on Wednesday, with Uwe Rösler appointed as his successor in the dugout.Tactics
Düsseldorf usually played in a 4-3-3 system under Funkel, but it is difficult to predict what changes Rösler will implement in terms of personnel and formation. First-choice goalkeeper Zack Steffen could be set for a recall after missing the first two games of the calendar year with a knee injury, while André Hoffmann and Kaan Ayhan are likely to continue their partnership in central defence.Fortuna’s three-man central midfield is supplemented by pace on the wings, with Erik Thommy playing on the left and Steven Skrzybski on the right in recent games – although both sustained injuries against Leverkusen. Hennings, Düsseldorf’s top goalscorer, has been operating as the lone striker.
One to watch: Rouwen Hennings
Fortuna’s main hope of survival rests on left-footed striker Hennings, who has netted 61 per cent of his team’s league goals this season – 11 in 18 appearances to be precise. The Hamburger SV youth product has been around a lot during his career, joining VfL Osnabrück in 2007 before switching to FC St. Pauli a year later.Hennings enjoyed a rapid rise at Karlsruher SC after signing for the club in July 2012, firing them into Bundesliga 2 before joining Burnley – then in England’s second tier – in 2015. After moving to Fortuna just a year later, Hennings was part of the Fortuna side that earned promotion to the Bundesliga in 2018.
