Fortuna Düsseldorf is stuck in the relegation battle: Now comes the key match against Elversberg

Fortuna Düsseldorf enters the last two matchdays of the 2. Bundesliga in 16th place. After 32 games, they have 34 points, with 30 goals scored and 49 conceded (goal difference: -19). The situation is therefore clear: every point can decide whether Fortuna finishes the season above the line, slips into the play-offs, or drops further down.

Current form curve intensifies

Recently, the situation has intensified due to the form curve. In the last five league games, Düsseldorf managed only one win and suffered four defeats. After the 0:3 at 1. FC Kaiserslautern came a 1:2 against Holstein Kiel, a 0:2 at 1. FC Magdeburg, the 3:1 home win against SG Dynamo Dresden, and most recently the 0:1 at FC Schalke 04 on 02.05.2026.

During this phase, the team has too rarely managed to stabilize their games enough to get some breathing room in the relegation zone – and it is precisely this stability that will become the currency in the season finale.

Record and goal difference as decisive factors

The fact that Düsseldorf is still in acute danger despite being level on points is shown by the overall record: 10 wins, 4 draws, and 18 defeats after 32 matchdays. In tight league regions, not only the number of points is decisive, but often also how clearly a team wins or loses overall. The negative goal difference underlines that Düsseldorf has lost not only points but also security in many games – a factor that can carry extra weight in the event of a tie in the table.

Elversberg comes as second in the table – contrast match with maximum significance

On Sunday, 10.05.2026 (1:30 p.m.), Fortuna Düsseldorf will host SV 07 Elversberg. The opponent arrives as second in the table and is listed with 59 points from 32 games. Thus, the duel is a sporting contrast: here is Fortuna, fighting for every point to avoid relegation – there is Elversberg, moving in the top group and able to perform with momentum and ambition.

For Düsseldorf, the explosiveness lies less in the opponent's league position than in their own need to deliver results again. Against a team from the upper table region, this will be particularly demanding: mistakes tend to be punished more quickly, and phases without control can turn a game early. It will be all the more important that Düsseldorf not only accepts the home game through fighting spirit, but also finds relief through clear processes – that is, winning the ball, organized transitions, and a defense that does not have to defend at its limit all the time.

Finale in Fürth: direct duel for survival

After the Elversberg game, the away match at SpVgg Greuther Fürth follows on 17.05.2026 (3:30 p.m.). Fürth is also on 34 points after 32 matchdays, but is in 17th place. This means that the final match is against a direct competitor from the critical zone – a typical season finale in which the past does not count, but mental strength in the moment does.

The fact that Düsseldorf has been able to make a mark this season is shown by looking at individual results:

• Biggest home win: 3:1 against Dynamo Dresden
• Away wins in
  • Nuremberg (0:1)
  • Bochum (0:1)
  • Münster (1:2)
  • Paderborn (1:2)
• Highest scoring game: 2:5 against Hertha BSC

Outlook for the season finale

Fortuna Düsseldorf thus starts the last two matchdays from a difficult but still open position. Against Elversberg, the aim is to keep the chance alive and not let the pressure before the direct duel in Fürth increase further. In this part of the table, it is often not the big turnaround that decides in the end, but the ability to force points in exactly these kinds of games – regardless of how strong the opponent looks on paper.