Fortuna – Magdeburg

Underdogs can withstand pressure from their opponents in the first half

Magdeburg were unbeaten in last year's German League Three. The team won the championship 14 points ahead of second-placed Braunschweig. Back then, the team themselves were conceding as well as scoring on average more than two goals per game. In a higher class division, Magdeburg's good results were nowhere to be seen, and the team conceded twice as much. While Baris Atik scored 19 goals and dished out 19 assists in League Three, he managed three goals and one assist in 17 games in Bundesliga II. Overall, the division newcomer was unprepared for the new realities, which logically resulted in his current 17th place finish. That said, Magdeburg's situation does not look hopeless. The density in the second half of the league table is such that the team, being in the relegation zone, is only three points behind tenth-placed Greuter Fürth. Bookmakers have identified Fortuna Düsseldorf as the favourite to win the upcoming game. The team, compared to their rival, has different ambitions. While Magdeburg aim to keep their place in the Second Bundesliga and win a position closer to the middle of the standings, Fortuna are eager to return to the elite German division. The club from Düsseldorf approach the renewal of the championship in seventh position, seven points away from third place, which is held by Heidenheim. To be promoted, they need to set a high tempo from the first game of 2023 and maintain it. The team was badly let down by their last two official matches of last year, in which they suffered defeats to Hannover and Kaiserslautern. In the first round of the first round, the opponents played each other for the first meeting in a decade and a half. Back then, Fortuna arrived at the ambitious newcomer to the division as the underdog, but were already leading 2-0 at the beginning of the second half. Magdeburg scored one midway through the second half but could not manage more. In the upcoming meeting, Magdeburg are already the underdogs, but the team now has a better understanding of who they will face. Having started the encounter from an echelon of defence, it is safe to assume that the visitors will not lose in the first half.