FC Ingolstadt 04 and MSV Duisburg played out a 2-2 draw at the Audi Sportpark, as doubles from Hauke Wahl and Baris Tashchi meant both sides shared the points during the 2. Bundesliga's English Week.
The Ukrainian, Tashchi, had given Ilia Grouev's side an early lead in Bavaria, only for Wahl's effort from a Sonny Kittel corner to tie the scores at half-time. After the break it was Ingolstadt's turn to take the lead as the 23-year-old defender, Wahl, got his second following Marvin Matip's flick-on. But once again the Zebras, Duisburg, would level the score when Tashchi took advantage of some poor defending to slot past Ørjan Nyland, meaning the points would be shared in the Matchday seven clash.
Wahl cancels out Tashchi's opener
It had took Ingolstadt the opening five 2. Bundesliga matchdays to score their first four goals of the season, but the Schanzer had hit a rich vein of goalscoring form at FC St. Pauli where they had matched that feat in the first half alone. Kittel had scored twice in the eventual 4-0 victory, whilst Christian Träsch and Darío Lezcano had also found the net, but it was the latter Paraguayan striker who had Stefan Leitl's sides first chance to take the lead against Duisburg on Tuesday evening.
The 27-year-old was found in the box by Wahl's long clearance, but the volleyed effort was eventually well saved by Mark Flekken in the visitors' goal at his near post. Shipping goals has been Duisburg's biggest issue on their return to the 2. Bundesliga, with statistically the division's worst defence after conceding eleven goals in six games, but so far in Ingolstadt Flekken had managed to stop the defensive rot.
Ingolstadt would soon be ruing this miss as not long after Lezcano had saw his effort saved at one end, his opposite for Duisburg, Baris Tashchi, was wheeling away in celebration at the other after giving the Zebras an early lead. Kevin Wolze's long throw eventually found its way to the Ukrainian striker on the edge of the box, were Tashchi's half-volleyed shot would be deflected by Wahl and squirm beyond Ørjan Nyland into the back of the Ingolstadt goal. The 24-year-old's third goal for the North-Rhine Westphalian club, since making the summer switch from VfB Stuttgart.
Ingolstadt, and Lezcano especially, felt they should have had a penalty after Nico Klotz bundled the Paraguayan over in the box. However, referee Frank Willenborg decided against awarding a penalty, much to the dismay of the Audi Sportpark faithful, but further inspection showed that the 27-year-old may have been justified in his overtures.
However Willenborg's decision, or lack of, wouldn't bother the Schanzer for long as Stefan Leitl's Ingolstadt side soon found themselves level. Sonny Kittel's out-swinging corner evaded Matip at the near post, but the ball would hit an unexpecting Wahl and evade the outstretched palm of the Zebras Dutch goalkepper, Flekken, before it nestled into the far corner and tied the score at the Audi Sportpark. The former SC Paderborn and Holstein Kiel defender with his first goal for the Bavarian side, after just over a year with the club formed in 2004.
De ja vú, as Tashchi equalises after Wahl's second
It had taken Wahl over a year to score his first goal for Ingolstadt, but as the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait, and no sooner after Willenborg had gotten the second half underway, the 23-year-old defender had scored his second of the match and given the Schanzer the lead. After some pinball in the visitor's box, Ingolstadt captain Matip headed the ball into the path of Wahl at the back post, where the defender who was on loan with 1. FC Heidenheim last season volleyed the ball into the far corner of the goal, to send Stefan Leitl and the home faithful into jubilent celebration.
Wahl was certainly in-form in front of goal at the Audi Sportpark on Tuesday evening, but at the other end, his and Marvin Matip's defending left a lot to be desired, as Tashchi leveled the scoring within a minute of Ingolstadt taking the lead. Straight from kick-off, MSV Duisburg went on the offensive and when Matip mistimed his interception, Tashchi was bearing down on Ørjan Nyland's goal, where the Ukrainian made no mistake and caressed a right footed effort below the Norwegian and into the bottom right corner of the net.
Ilia Grouev's side had a number of chances in quick succession to take the lead, although the Zebras were unable for the time being to beat Nyland for a third time in the match. Moritz Stoppelkamp first should have done better when he hit his close range shot into the side-netting, before Stanislav Iljutcenko was beaten to a through ball by Ingolstadt's Norwegian goalkeeper, Nyland.
The Schanzer could have won it at the death, after substitute Stefan Lex was handed a superb free-kick position following a foul on Almog Cohen. However the midfielder who born in Bavaria, Lex, wasted his opportunity and sent the ball high above Flekken's goal. If any goal had have come, it would've been extremely harsh on the visiting Zebras, who had done well to arrest their form after a 6-1 home drubbing at the hands of 1. FC Nürnberg last time out. But in Bavaria, Grouev's side had held their own against one of the 2. Bundesliga's most talented sides.
Following last season's relegation from the Bundesliga, it has been the Schanzer's home form at the Audi Sportpark that has seen the Bavarian side struggle to adapt to life back in the 2. Bundesliga, with defeats to Union Berlin, Erzgebirge Aue and in the Danube derby against SSV Jahn Regensburg. Stefan Leitl's side had managed to avoid defeat during the English Week fixture against MSV Duisburg, but Ingolstadt still remain without a victory on home turf during the 2017/18 campaign.