Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Fortuna Düsseldorf thrashed VfL Benrath 12-1 in a pre-season friendly, with Fabian Schleusener scoring a second-half hat-trick in the one-sided affair.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Fortuna were 2-0 up inside eight minutes. Right-back Sascha Risch opened the scoring in the 5th minute, driving a low shot from 20 metres into the bottom-right corner, and Steven van der Sloot doubled the lead three minutes later, arriving from right-back to finish from 15 metres.
Benrath pulled one back through Kutaiba Kassar in the 13th minute — a quick counter-attack finished from close range — but any hope of a contest lasted only nine minutes. Jomaine Consbruch restored the two-goal cushion in the 22nd minute, and Fortuna struck four more times before half-time: Jordi Paulina (25', header), Eric Hottmann (26'), Dominique Heintz (31', from a corner), and Noah Egouli (41', headed corner) made it 7-1 at the break.
Head coach Alexander Ende changed all ten outfield players at half-time, yet the flow of goals continued. Mechak Quiala Tito headed in from a cross (52'), Fabian Schleusener scored from close range (57'), added a second with a header (81'), and completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot (86'). Substitute Slimani rounded off the scoring in the 90th minute, cutting inside from the right and finishing from a tight angle for 12-1.
The turning point
Benrath's 13th-minute goal briefly made it 2-1, but Consbruch's reply in the 22nd minute — set up by Hamza Anhari's strong run and cutback from the byline — killed any prospect of an upset. Fortuna scored four goals in a nine-minute spell (22nd to 31st minute) to turn a competitive scoreline into a rout.
Key performers
- Fabian Schleusener (Fortuna Düsseldorf): A second-half hat-trick (57', 81', 86' pen) after coming on at the break. His movement and finishing stood out against tiring opposition.
- Jomaine Consbruch (Fortuna Düsseldorf): Scored one, assisted another (Hottmann's goal), and was involved in the best attacking sequences of the first half.
- Dominique Heintz (Fortuna Düsseldorf): The centre-back scored a rare goal from a corner (31') and marshalled the defence in a half that saw Benrath create only one real chance.
- Sascha Risch (Fortuna Düsseldorf): Opened the scoring with a composed finish from distance and provided the corner that Heintz converted.
Player of the match: Fabian Schleusener (Fortuna Düsseldorf)
By the numbers — interpreted
The 12-1 scoreline (7-1 at half-time) reflects a complete mismatch in class. Fortuna's 2. Bundesliga squad faced a Kreisliga opponent playing for their 120th anniversary occasion, and the gulf showed in every phase. The fact that Fortuna changed all ten outfield players at half-time and still added five more goals tells the story: this was about fitness, sharpness, and giving minutes to the full squad, not about a competitive fixture. Every Benrath player was outmatched physically and technically, and the 1-2 consolation briefly gave them a foothold that lasted only nine minutes.
What it means
Fortuna Düsseldorf have now won all three pre-season friendlies: 5-0 at SC St. Tönis (8 July), this 12-1, and a prior result. The squad departs for a training camp in Upper Austria on Saturday, 11 July, where they face Slovak top-flight side MFK Ružomberok on Tuesday, 14 July (18:00 CEST). For Benrath, the match was a celebration fixture for their 120-year club anniversary, one they will have known would be one-sided against a professional side.
Verdict
A professional workout with no competitive tension. Fortuna got what they needed — goals, minutes, and a clean run of substitutions — against an opponent who gamely played their part. Schleusener's second-half hat-trick strengthens his case for a starting role as the 2. Bundesliga season approaches.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 10 Jul 2026