“Düsseldorf took the last word”

Fortuna left with a 3-2 win, Jan’s volley in the 88th minute delivering the last word and the bragging rights.

Fortuna won the previous meeting 4-2 in December; before that, Köln had beaten them 4-1, while the earlier two clashes included a draw and another Düsseldorf win. This time, the derby’s turning point came after Köln had taken the lead.

Biton put Fortuna ahead on 15 minutes, heading high through the middle from close range. Julian Leiding levelled for Köln on 36 minutes with a low effort near a post, and Betinho headed in three minutes later. The noise had changed pitch: Köln had answered Fortuna’s opener, and the visitors needed a response.

Jan supplied it on 59 minutes, striking high beneath the bar. Then, with two minutes of normal time remaining, he volleyed in at mid height. The late goal turned a derby that had swung from one side to the other into a Fortuna win, and made Jan the match’s defining figure with two goals.

Köln had the greater share of possession, 65 per cent to Fortuna’s 35, and won 16 corners to their rivals’ four. Yet the volume of pressure did not settle the argument: Fortuna had seven shots on target to Köln’s eight, and made their moments count. Juan Manuel Cobián was named player of the match after providing two assists, while Jan finished with three shots, all on target.

Köln’s possession and lead both proved insufficient. Fortuna, meanwhile, absorbed the home side’s push before Jan settled the contest. The derby remains a measure not only of local pride but of who can withstand its shifts; on Friday, Düsseldorf recovered from behind and left Köln with the sting of a late defeat.

This paper looked ahead to the fixture last week, asking whether Köln could halt Fortuna’s unbeaten run and avenge December’s loss. The derby has now delivered its answer on the pitch: another win over Köln, and a reminder that local supremacy is not secured by controlling the ball.