Fortuna – Hanover 96

The hosts will avoid a second consecutive defeat at the start of the season.

Fortuna Düsseldorf came just a small step away from the Bundesliga in the season before last, dramatically losing the playoff for promotion to Bochum. As a result, bookmakers expected the team to achieve direct promotion to the elite in the last championship. However, Fortuna disappointed experts and their own fans, finishing in sixth place. Moreover, at the end of the Second Bundesliga season, the club from Düsseldorf did not even contend for the coveted top-three spots, mixing with the mid-table teams of the division. This season, no one particularly expects 'F95' to gain promotion. Hannover 96 has not raised expectations in recent years to avoid disappointing everyone involved. The club is now in its seventh season in the Second Bundesliga, having been relegated from the elite following the 2018/2019 season. A month ago, Christian Titz took over Hannover, having previously managed Magdeburg for a long time successfully. This gives fans hope that a long-awaited successful project might be implemented at their beloved club. The bookmakers believed this too, designating Hannover as the second most prominent contender for the championship title. Last season, Hannover finished in eighth place, underscoring their status as a mid-table team in recent seasons. The bookmakers did not identify a favourite for the upcoming match, offering similar odds for both opponents. Fortuna Düsseldorf sold Isak Johannesson to Köln during the off-season for a substantial €5.5 million, allowing them to work in the transfer market to strengthen the squad. For a total of €4 million, El Azzaoui, Rasmussen, and Itten joined the club, while Alexandropoulos was signed on loan from Sporting. However, these changes have not yet brought anything good to Fortuna's game. The team lost their first match of the season to Arminia with a score of 1:5. The Düsseldorf club scored first, but after a dismissal in their squad, they fell apart and began conceding goal after goal. Hannover will defend its status as one of the division's favourites without Nicolo Tresoldi - their top striker from last season, who was sold to Brugge for a substantial €6.0 million. The proceeds were used to acquire a whole group of players, some of whom performed well in the opening round. In their first match of the season, Hannover defeated Kaiserslautern 1:0; however, it will be difficult for them in Düsseldorf.