Fortuna Düsseldorf’s home loss to Hoffenheim II deepens early woes
Fortuna Düsseldorf suffered a 0‑2 defeat to TSG Hoffenheim II in their first season home match on 15 August 2026, a week after the opening loss in Mannheim, with the match recorded at Stand: 15.08.2026 • 16:39 Uhr in the 3. Liga.
Ende’s post‑match assessment
Trainer Alexander Ende described the performance as “a poor display in every facet” after the game on Samstag. He added that the squad must “put their heads together” to decide the way forward, stressing that this style must not become the club’s image.
Der Kapitän Jorrit Hendrix received a Rote Karte after a Notbremse in the 79th minute, having just served a Rotsperre from a previous suspension. The red card came as he stopped a fast‑break by Hoffenheim, ending his first Saisonspiel back on the pitch.
Tiago Poller opened the scoring in the third minute after a Valentin Lässig cross was cleared by Steven van der Sloot and then redirected by Poller. The second goal arrived in the 52nd minute when Jakov Dedic tapped in a rebound after Arden’s misplaced pass, sealing the win for the Hoffenheimer side.
Eine Woche nach der Auftaktniederlage in Mannheim hat Fortuna Düsseldorf auch im ersten Saison‑Heimspiel den Kürzeren gezogen. The Team showed large defensive gaps and struggled to create clear chances, confirming the criticism from Ende about the lack of organisation.
Squad adjustments and future matches
Nach der Halbzeitpause änderte Ende seine Startelf, bringing in Felix Meiser, Jomaine Consbruch, Elias Arden, Hendrix and Jordi Paulina while dropping five players. The 19‑year‑old defender Meiser left the field injured in the 30th minute and was replaced by 33‑year‑old Dominique Heintz.
Further changes saw Youngster Anas Slimani and loan signing Andreas Müller from Karlsruher SC enter the field. Für die nächste Partie am Samstag trifft die SC Freiburg im DFB‑Pokal, Anstoß 23. August um 18:00 Uhr, während das nächste Drittliga‑Spiel am 28. August gegen VfB Stuttgart II in Düsseldorf ausgetragen wird.