2. Bundesliga Preview: Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. VfL Bochum

Uwe Rösler will return to his former club Fortuna Düsseldorf as his Bochum side hope to go eleven games unbeaten.

Fortuna Düsseldorf will host an in-form VfL Bochum side on Friday evening in the 2. Bundesliga. The visitors are unbeaten in their last ten games, while Düsseldorf’s own season-best record came to an end last week in Darmstadt.

Markus Anfang’s side produced one of their best performances of the season against the second-placed team, but Marcel Schuhen’s excellent showing in Darmstadt’s goal denied them multiple times before Matej Maglica’s winner from a set-piece opportunity.

As for Bochum, the 1-1 draw with Nürnberg meant they’re now undefeated for ten games, but they have only won three times in this impressive streak. The lack of turning draws into wins put them in tenth place.

However, the progress is evident since Uwe Rösler took over the helm in mid-October. Bochum started the campaign with seven defeats in the first eight matchdays, but they have lost only once in 15 matches since the former Düsseldorf coach became the permanent replacement for Dieter Hecking.

The 57-year-old was in charge of Düsseldorf when they were relegated from the Bundesliga back in 2020. He also coached them for one season in 2. Bundesliga as his team narrowly missed out on a place in the relegation/promotion playoff.

This will be the first time the former striker returns to the Merkur Spiel-Arena since leaving the club at the end of the 2020/21 season. Interim coach David Siebers was at the helm when the two sides met in the reverse fixture as Daniel Thioune’s side won at Vonovia Ruhrstadion courtesy of Tim Oberdorf’s early strike.

Thioune is now in a different challenge with his Werder Bremen team fighting for survival in the Bundesliga. His replacement, Anfang, has so far picked up 15 points in his first 15 games back in 2. Bundesliga.

Team News

Jordy de Wijs, who scored his first goal of the season last week in his first league start, will be out with an adductor injury. Jesper Daland, who replaced him after the Dutch center-back was off injured in Darmstadt, will also be out as he was sent off in injury-time.

Similarly, Maximilian Wittek is suspended after his fifth yellow card of the season in the home draw with Nürnberg. Four more Bochum players are at risk of suspension for accumulated yellow cards.

Predicted Lineups

Düsseldorf: Kastenmeier ©; Lunddal, Heyer, Oberdorf; Iyoha, Tanaka, El Azzouzi, Suso; Appelkamp, Muslija; Itten

Bochum: Horn ©; Morgalla, Loosli, Strompf, Rakneberg; Lenz, Pannewig; Miyoshi, Marshall, Holtmann; Hofmann