Despite the stakes their proverbial ¨six-point match” Saturday, neither Fortuna Düsseldorf nor SC Paderborn were able to find the goal, forcing both relegation-threatened clubs to settle for a single point from a scoreless draw.
The result ultimately was more beneficial for the hosts, who maintained their hold on the relegation-playoff spot and kept last-place Paderborn six points behind them. But instead of closing the gap to safety to a single point (15th-place Mainz plays at Köln on Sunday), Fortuna must now wait to see whether 17th-place Werder Bremen will eat into the four-point cushion that currently keeps them from a direct relegation spot when they host Bayer Leverkusen Monday night.
Fortuna had the best chances at goal on the day, seeing four shots deflect off the goal frame. Valon Berisha twice got the ball past Paderborn keeper Leopold Zingerle, only to be victimized by the crossbar and goalpost.
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¨If you hit aluminum four times and have another one or two chances beyond that, you have to also win the match,”said Fortuna trainer Uwe Rösler after the match.
In addition to the two points dropped, Fortuna also lost their captain, Kaan Ayhan, for next weekś derby at 1. FC Köln due to his having received his fifth yellow card of the season.
With just 17 points to their credit and eight matches remaining on the schedule, Bundesliga survival is looking grim for Paderborn. Two of their four remaining home matches are against Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach, while two of their four remaining away matches are at Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt, both among the leagueś six top clubs in the home table.
