Battle of promotion in the 2nd Bundesliga
Kaiserslautern wins in the top game – and is now third
Updated on March 29, 2025 – 10:28 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
The 1. FC Kaiserslautern has achieved an important home win in the promotion race of the 2nd Bundesliga. The Palatinate once again thanked their top scorer.
The promotion struggle in the 2nd Bundesliga got new spice after the top game on Saturday evening: Fortuna Düsseldorf was able to ride the 1st FC Kaiserslautern 3: 1 (1-0). The team of coach Markus Begin jumps through the three points past the SC Paderborn to the relegation rank three. Meanwhile, Düsseldorf’s promotion rooms received a bitter damper. Fortuna is in ninth place.
In the sold-out Fritz-Walter Stadium, Captain Marlon Ritter brought the home team into the lead after just less than a quarter of an hour (14th minute). The guests struck back in the second section after a weak first half. Tim Oberdorf pressed the ball over the line (60th).
However, the compensation did not last. After a FCK corner, Ragnar Ache climbed the highest and headed out for the “red devil” (73.). For the striker it was already the 16th goal of the season. Only Hamburg’s Davie Selke (17 goals) was more successful this season than Ache. Luca Sirch brought the decision in added time (90.+3).
The hosts started furiously. Goal scorer Ache headed just by (14th), seconds later Ritter scored the lead with his sixth goal of the season. Kaiserslautern stayed on the trigger, but Florian Kastenmeier gave no problems in the Fortuna goal (24th).
The FCK cheered again eight minutes later, but Jan Elvedi’s header was revoked after studying the video images. Maximilian Bauer had previously played the ball by hand. The strongly weakened guests did not take offensive in the first half.
That changed in the second half. Düsseldorf now acted braver and was more common in the opposing half. A header by Jamil Siebert (54th) was too harmless, Dawid Kownacki (57th) aimed too high. The compensation from Oberdorf to a corner was logical.
At Kaiserslautern, nothing ran together in the game, then Ache caused the lead again after a corner. Joker Jona Niemiec missed the great chance of compensation (81.). In added time, Kaiserslautern put the lid on it.
