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Borussia Dortmund suffer first defeat away at Düsseldorf

December 18, 2018

Newly-promoted Fortuna Düsseldorf inflicted a first league defeat of the season on Borussia Dortmund, despite Paco Alcacer's 10th goal of the season off the bench. Watford loanee Dodi Lukebakio was the star for Fortuna.

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Dortmund suffer first defeat away at Düsseldorf
Image: Getty Images/M. Hitij

Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 Borussia Dortmund 
(Lukebakio 22', Zimmer 56' - Alcacer 81')

Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund suffered their first defeat of the season as goals from Watford loanee Dodi Lukebakio and Jean Zimmer set newly-promoted Fortuna Düsseldorf on their way to a famous 2-1 win. 

Substitute Paco Alcacer halved the deficit ten minutes from time when he nodded home Lukas Piszczek's cross after good work from Jadon Sancho, but Dortmund generally lacked creativity against a well-organized Fortuna defense. 

Ahead of his team's third game in seven days, coach Lucien Favre made four changes to the Dortmund team which beat Werder Bremen 2-1 at the weekend, with Achraf Hakimi, Raphael Guerreiro, Sancho and Alcacer making way for Marcel Schmelzer, Jacob Bruun Larsen, Christian Pulisic and Mario Götze.

But the visitors' inexplicably high defensive line was exposed by the lightning-paced Lukebakio as Düsseldorf coach Friedhelm Funkel's plan worked to perfection. After Bruun Larsen lost possession in midfield, Kevin Stöger quickly fed the Belgian forward who, as he had done three times against Bayern Munich earlier this season, finished calmly past Roman Bürki. 

Takashi Usmani came within inches of doubling Fortuna's lead before Zimmer did make it two in the second half with a stunning long-range strike which will be a candidate for goal of the season. 

Favre reacted by introducing his two super subs, Sancho and Alcacer, and the duo did inject some life into BVB, but Alcacer's late header was too little, too late as the Black and Yellows slipped to a first Bundesliga defeat since the final day of last season away at Hoffenheim. 

They remain six points clear of Borussia Mönchengladbach, who beat Nuremberg 2-0 and travel to the Westfalenstadion on Friday, while Fortuna Düsseldorf will travel to fellow-strugglers Hannover on Saturday with huge confidence. 

Fußball Bundesliga 16. Spieltag | Borussia Dortmund vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf | 2. TOR Düsseldorf
Image: Getty Images/M. Hitij

As it happened: 

FULL-TIME: Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
That's it! Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund suffer their first defeat of the season away at newly-promoted Fortuna Düsseldorf! 

90+2' Corner to Düsseldorf, and they'll take their time over this. 

90' Düsseldorf scramble the ball clear as the referee indicates a minimum of FOUR MINUTES added time. 

88' Substitution for Fortuna Düsseldorf
Dodi Lukebakio is replaced by Rouwen Hennings

87' All BVB now, the Dortmunders are camped in the Düsseldorf half. Both sets of fans ramping up the volume, urging their teams on. 

84' Corner to Dortmund. Sancho swings it in but the linesman raises his flag because the corner went out of play. 

81' GOAL! Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 Borussia Dortmund (Alcacer)
Dortmund are back in it! And of course it's Paco Alcacer, and of course it's off the bench, and of course all the credit goes to Jadon Sancho! The English teenager dribbles past three defenders on the edge of the box, feeds Piszczek down the right and the Pole's cross is nodded home by Alcacer.
GAME ON. 

76' Diallo rises in the box to meet Sancho's corner but the ball rather bounces off him into Rensing's hands. Should have done better.

73' Stöger fires just wide for Düsseldorf - although many in the stadium clearly thought it was in! 

71' Finally, a truly dangerous moment from Borussia Dortmund. First, Marco Reus just fails to reach a header before Ayhan throws himself infront of Götze's follow-up effort. The ball is recycled to Alacer on the right who neither crosses nor shoots. But that was a first real moment of Dortmund pressure. 

67' Usami's long-range effort is held by Bürki.

64' Sancho theads a clever reverse pass into Alacer who can't quite turn in the box - but that's a sign of the creativity that BVB need. But most importantly, they need a goal to get them back in this game as soon as possible. 

62' Christian Pulisic is booked after holding back Oliver Fink.

60' Dortmund substitution: 
Thomas Delaney and Jacob Bruun Larsen are replaced by Jadon Sancho and Paco Alcacer.
Attack, attack, attack for Dortmund. 

Fußball Bundesliga 16. Spieltag | Borussia Dortmund vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf
Image: imago/DeFodi

56' GOAL! Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (Zimmer)
WHAT. A. GOAL. Jean Zimmer smashes the ball into the top corner from 25 yards out and Fortuna lead by two! But what an absolutely ridiculous finish, a candidate for goal of the season. Unstoppable!

55' Götze is flagged offside again. Düsseldorf are again sitting deep and Dortmund are struggling to get any joy down either flank. Jadon Sancho and Paco Alcacer are warming up ... 

49' After a spell of Düsseldorf possession, Dortmund break forward with Götze and Reus, but the BVB captain runs into a mass of Fortuna defenders and the chance is lost. 

46' KICK-OFF! 
Omar Toprak replaces the injured Manuel Akanji (hamstring) as the second half gets underway. Borussia Dortmund require a significant improvement if they are to avoid their first defeat of the season!

HALF-TIME: Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-0 Borussia Dortmund 

38' How has he missed!? Usami has the chance to double Fortuna's lead but he somehow puts the ball wide from just five yards out from Zimmer's cross. What a chance.

Fußball Bundesliga 16. Spieltag | Borussia Dortmund vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf | 2. TOR Düsseldorf
Image: imago/U. Kraft

33' Chance for Dortmund! Pulisic's pass finds its way across the edge of the box to Götze who is in space, but the German scuffs his shot and it's an easy one for Rensing. 

30' The huge numbers of traveling Dortmund fans made quite an impression at kick-off but they've been silenced by this Düsseldorf performance so far - and now it's the home fans who are making all the noise. Friedhelm Funkel's game plan is working perfectly so far, aided by a BVB side who look blunt up front and who are defending dangerously high.

They've not lost yet this season though, and Paco Alcacer is on the bench ... 

26' Bruun Larsen attempts to stab a throughball in towards Reus but Fortuna are well organized at the back and the danger is cleared. 

22' GOAL! Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-0 Borussia Dortmund (Lukebakio)
Well, you can't say that's not been coming, can you? Bruun Larsen loses possession in midfield and Stöger immediately threads a perfect ball through to the Belgian striker. The Watford loanee makes no mistake and slots the ball past Bürki for his seventh Bundesliga goal of the season. Based on Fortuna's start to the game, the lead is very much deserved. 

Fußball Bundesliga 16. Spieltag | Borussia Dortmund vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf | 1. TOR für Düsseldorf
Image: Getty Images/M. Hitij

16' 1-0 to Dortmund? No, Reus' strike after good combination play with Pulisic is ruled out because the American is adjudged to have been interfering with the goalkeeper's vision while stood in an offside position. Personally, I'm not sure about that, but no intervention from VAR ... 

13' Another spell of Dortmund possession comes to nothing against the massed Düsseldorf midfielders, who win the ball and break again through Lukebakio. They win a corner which is cleared. 

10' Usami breaks free again down the left for Fortuna, beyond the stranded Piszczek, and into the box. He has options to his right but opts to shoot and slices his effort wide. 

6' Düsseldorf captain Fink again tries to feed the ball through to Lukebakio, without success. The hosts' plan is quite clear here. They will sit deep and look to break rapidly. 

3' Dodi Lukebakio immediately gives Dortmund a scare with his pace, outrunning Piszczek and cutting inside, but his shot is deflected off Akanji into Bürki's arms. A warning for the league leaders. 

1' KICK-OFF!
Borussia Dortmund are a big attraction. After the visit of Schalke, this is only the second time Düsseldorf have sold out this season. And after a huge pyrotechnic display from the travelling fans, we're underway! 

'Huge favorites'

"We're playing the league-leaders who haven't lost a single one of their first 15 games," says Düsseldorf coach Friedhelm Funkel. "Dortmund are huge favorites."

Striker Dodi Lukebakio returns up front for the hosts: 

Borussia Dortmund team news:

With such a packed schedule, Lucien Favre makes four changes. Hakimi, Sancho, Guerreiro and Alcacer all drop to the bench while Schmelzer, Bruun Larsen, Pulisic and Götze return to the starting line-up. 

Guten Abend! Welcome to DW's live coverage of Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. Borussia Dortmund
Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund make the short trip down the River Rhine to Düsseldorf for their second of three games inside seven days. The Black and Yellows overcame a stubborn Werder Bremen side on Saturday and will be expecting another three points against relegation-threatened Fortuna tonight.