The situation at the end of the table continues to get worse for Fortuna Düsseldorf. After a not very convincing performance, Fortuna was defeated by SV Werder Bremen with 1:3 and thus remains at the bottom of the rankings. The team of coach Friedhelm Funkel did not have access to the game for long periods and seemed to be overstrained by the tempo game of the Hanseaten. Only in the initial phase of the second half, after Dodi Lukebakio's compensation by penalty kick, did the prospect of a point win really seem realistic.

After 35 seconds already yellowed - the nightmare of every central defender. For Fortuna's Robin Bormuth, it came true when Milot Rashica escaped behind his back and the 23-year-old could only help himself with a jersey twitch. Bitter, Bormuth had to hold back the whole game if he didn't want to outnumber his team. Bormuth's contribution had not been taken for granted after Kaan Ayhan had returned from a cold.

However, Funkel trusted exactly the same starting eleven that had scarcely two weeks ago reached the sensational 3:3 at FC Bayern Munich - and Ayhan was missing at the time, but Munich is not everywhere, and the Düsseldorfers quickly felt that. Werder developed enormous pressure and overtaxed the somehow slow-looking Fortuna cover with his speed. Rashica, in particular, couldn't get her to grips at all, and so the Kosovar wasn't involved in the deserved leading goal by chance. At first Dodi Lukebakio did not go consistently to the ball, then Adam Bodzek let himself be danced out by Rashica, before Matthias Zimmermann allowed Max Kruse to play. So Kevin Möhwald was able to shoot in relatively loosely to 1-0 at the end of this remarkable chain of mistakes.

Shortly before the break, however, there was still a parallel to the Bayern game. Lukebakios goal to the 2:3-connection had found there after first indicated offside a late acknowledgment by video proof, so this time the "Kölner Keller" intervened after a confusing scene in the Bremen penalty area. Referee Marco Fritz first cleaned his nose in peace, then ran to the middle line to watch the video - and whistled penalty kicks. Werders Sebastian Langkamp had played the ball with his hand, Lukebakio didn't want to miss the chance of a penalty kick.

The very happy break gave hope, and Funkel underlined it with a system change. Bodzek moved back between the central defenders Bormuth and Marcin Kaminski, so that the three formed a chain of five with Jean Zimmer and Niko Gießelmann. In front, coach Rouwen Hennings replaced Takashi Usami, and the 31-year-old only missed the Bremen goal by centimetres after an hour.

The game was now a little more balanced, but the guests never got it one hundred percent under control. So it was the Bremen players who set the decisive punch in the person of former Düsseldorf player Martin Harnik. The Austrian reacted fastest after a shot from Johannes Eggestein defended by goalkeeper Michael Rensing and pushed in to 2-1.

A blow that Fortuna could not counter this time and even hit number three by the also substitute Joshua Sargent had to take.

Next Saturday, Fortuna must definitely improve in the home game against SC Freiburg.