FC Ingolstadt is relegated to the 3rd division

Dhe relegation of FC Ingolstadt from the second Bundesliga is sealed. Despite a 2-0 lead, the Schanzer only played 2-2 (1-0) at Karlsruher SC on Friday and can no longer make up the gap to relegation rank 16 in the remaining three games of the season. At the start of the 31st match day, however, the Karlsruhe team also took the last step towards staying in the league.

Patrick Schmidt with a hand penalty (24th minute) and Filip Bilbija (46th) scored the goals for the Ingolstadt team. Fabian Schleusener (69th) and Philipp Hofmann (75th) scored for Baden. Ingolstadt has to return to the 3rd division just one year after promotion.

Schmidt’s lead for the guests took the wind out of the sails of the Badeners in front of 16,655 spectators. Defender Daniel O’Shaughnessy, who conceded the penalty, got the ball to his head a short time later and was substituted. Less than 30 seconds after the break, Bilbija raised the ball for Ingolstadt. Karlsruhe coach Christian Eichner revived his team with a quadruple substitution in the 53rd minute. Schleusener and Hofmann scored with a header, and the team from Karlsruhe almost turned the game around.

Fresh start with Rehm

For the Schanzer it was a season to forget from the start. They have been in a direct relegation zone in the table since matchday six. The hapless former coach Roberto Pätzold, who only took over the post in the summer, was succeeded by the even more hapless André Schubert at the end of September. And the third coach, Rüdiger Rehm, hasn’t turned things around since he took office at the beginning of December. He has 13 points in 15 games so far.

Nevertheless, the 43-year-old should help shape the rebuilding of the FCI. The club will start the new season with Rehm and sports director Malte Metzelder, as managing director Dietmar Beiersdorfer has already announced. The squad, however, is likely to be extensively rebuilt.

Dusseldorf missed safe stay in league two

Fortuna Düsseldorf has given up a 2-0 lead and a victory that was believed to be safe and missed out on staying in the class early. The team of coach Daniel Thioune did not get more than 2: 2 (2: 0) in the home game against SG Dynamo Dresden and failed to mathematically secure the league three games before the end. Shinta Appelkamp (26th minute) and Jordy de Wijs (31st) gave Düsseldorf the lead on Friday evening. Apparently beaten Dresdeners hit back effectively in the second half with two joker goals by Paul Will (71st) and Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer (80th).

With the draw, the Düsseldorfers extended their series to ten unbeaten games, but the Rhinelanders had to postpone the hoped-for rescue. After 31 match days, the Fortunes are now eight points ahead of SG Dynamo Dresden in the relegation ranks, which was still without a win this year.

With two goals within five minutes, Fortuna had every chance of winning the game in front of 25,264 spectators in the Düsseldorf Arena. Appelkamp took the lead after a counterattack worth seeing and outstanding preparatory work by Khaled Narey, de Wijs followed up after a corner to give a deserved 2-0 lead at the break, which could have been even higher. The guests from Dresden seemed impressed by the goals they conceded and were unable to get through for a long time against the Dusseldorf team, who were stronger in the duel and in attack. Substitute Will’s goal was like a wake-up call, Königsdörfer scored to equalize.