Augsburg battle back to beat Fortuna Düsseldorf

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Benito Raman gave Fortuna Düsseldorf the lead on their return to Bundesliga football, but Martin Hinteregger and Andre Hahn both scored headers as Manuel Baum’s side came back to win 2-1.

Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-2 Augsburg

Goals: 1-0 Raman (39’), 1-1 Hinteregger (57’), 1-2 Hahn (76’)

Without injured goalscorer Alfred Finnbogason, Michael Gregoritsch led the line for Augsburg, but it was Marco Richter who looked most likely to plug the gap left by the Icelander early on, the 20-year-old stinging Michael Rensing’s gloves before flashing the rebound wide. Rensing then punched away a Martin Hinteregger pile-driver before Andre Hahn saw his header cleared off the line on the rare occasion that the visiting ‘keeper was beaten. It was against the run of play, then, when Benito Raman nodded the hosts in front after a defensive mix-up at the other end with the first half drawing to a close.

Augsburg were unchanged for the second half and Manuel Baum’s faith in his starting line-up was rewarded inside the hour when Martin Hinteregger powered Jonathan Schmid’s cross in off the crossbar with a back-post header. Andre Hahn then grabbed the winner, another header – this time from a Richter delivery – proving impossible to repel for Rensing.

Match stats

    Hinteregger had not scored for Augsburg since April 2017, when he helped Die Függertstader to a 2-1 win over Cologne.Hahn’s header was his 13th Augsburg goal. The attacking midfielder bagged 12 before leaving the cub for Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2014.Augsburg saw 1,300 travelling fans make the 350-mile journey north west to Düsseldorf.Gregoritsch was Augsburg's top scorer in 2017/18 with 13 goals in all competitions, one more than Iceland's Finnbogason.Raman scored 10 goals in Fortuna’s promotion campaign. The Belgian’s opener was his first top-flight strike.This third Bundesliga meeting between the two sides comes exactly six years to the day after their first, which Düsseldorf won 2-0 in August 2012.

Line-ups

Düsseldorf: Rensing – Zimmer, Ayhan, Hoffmann, Gießelmann – Morales, Sobotka – Zimmermann, Stöger (Karaman 67’), Raman (Lukebakio 79’) – Hennings (c) (Ducksch 75’)
Unused subs: Wolf, Lovren, Contento, Bormuth
Absentees: Fink (calf), Wiesner (pubic bone), Froese (ankle)
Coach: Friedhelm Funkel

Augsburg: Giefer – Schmid, Gouweleeuw, Hinteregger, Max – Khedira, Baier (c) (Danso 91’) – Richter (Ji 79’), Hahn, Caiuby (Koo 69’) – Gregoritsch
Unused subs: Luthe, Götze, Cordova, Framberger
Absentees: Finnbogason (ankle), Schieber (knee)
Coach: Manuel Baum

Watch: Alfredo Morales talks up the support of the Fortuna fans in defeat

As it happened

Click here for the Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. Augsburg Match Centre!