For the first time in 28 years, Fortuna Düsseldorf can reach the semi-finals of the DFB Cup. For this, St. Pauli has to be beaten.
It’s happening in quick succession Fortuna Dusseldorfjust three days after the game against second division leaders St. Pauli, the quarter-finals are already on Tuesday (January 31, 2023). DFB Cup at. Opponent: again the league leaders from Hamburg. This not only offers Düsseldorf the chance to make amends after the 1-2 home defeat, but also a historic opportunity.
The last time F95 was in the semi-finals was in 1996, when they lost 2-0 to Karlsruher SC. But according to coach Daniel Thioune, the historic success of reaching the semi-finals for the first time in 28 years requires an increase in performance compared to last Saturday. Despite conceding two goals, he emphasized: “We lost the game offensively.”
Already in the cup with new additions?
It is not yet clear who will bring improvement offensively. “We still have some time until Tuesday,” Thioune announced at the press conference on Sunday. Christoph Daferner, who has just been loaned out and made his debut against Herha BSC around a week and a half ago, could be a candidate for the starting eleven.
Another option is now called Suliman-Marlon Mustapha. The attacker, who trained at 1. FSV Mainz 05 and most recently played for Como in Italy’s second division, is expected to broaden the squad with his loan.
“With Marlon we are gaining an exciting type of player in attack. He brings dynamism and assertiveness and also has a large radius of action, which will mean we will be even more variable at the top,” explained sports director Christian Weber.
Fortuna is hoping for a high reward
Not only the fans and team but also Fortuna’s coffers would be happy about a win. A bonus of around 3.5 million euros is due for reaching the semi-finals. These in turn are definitely needed; the club is financially solid, but not well positioned. “That is an exorbitantly high sum for every second division team and would be a nice side effect,” explained Weber.
