Town trail Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 at the break at the Paul Janes Stadion, Freddie Sears having netted the Blues’ goal.
Town boss Mick McCarthy started a team which was a mixture of regular first-teamers, fringe players and youngsters against a Fortuna Dusseldorf XI not far away from the XI which starts their Bundesliga 2 season next week against Union Berlin.
Earlier, representatives of the 600 travelling Blues, who helped make up a 5,700 sell-out crowd, won a fans’ match 7-4, before teams made up of Fortuna legends and supporters - including four of the Town fans - played a game on the main pitch.
Despite the oppressive heat, the match proper started energetically, Fortuna keeper Lars Unnarstall saving an early looping effort from Town skipper Luke Chambers.
At the other end, Bartosz Bialkowski blocked from close range, first from Sercan Sararer and then from Joel Pohjanpalo.
Fortuna might have gone in front in the 11th minute when Michael Liendl sent over a deep cross from the left but Didier Ya Konan tripped over his own feet as he sought to bring the ball down when in the clear. A minute later Sararer struck a low effort wide.
Myles Kenlock did well to clear from inside the six-yard area in the 14th minute after Lukas Schmitz had diverted a cross from the left towards goal.
The home side, much further through pre-season, were unsurprisingly looking the stronger side and on 17 Pohjanpalo beat Kenlock and sent over a low cross which was stabbed behind ahead of Sararer. From the corner, Karim Haggui headed powerfully just over.
Fortuna ought to have taken the lead on 20 when Ya Konan was again sent through on goal but Bialkowski was ought quickly to block.
The German team continued to control the game and on 28 Mathias Bolly shot over from the edge of the box.
Just before the half hour, Ya Konan turned Schmitz’s cross from the left past Bialkowski, but having strayed offside.
In the 33rd minute Fortuna were awarded a very generous penalty when Schmitz’s cross struck Kyle Hammond's arm. Liendl sent Bialkowski the wrong way from the spot.
The home side could have added to their lead immediately but Bialkowski saved from Schmitz and almost immediately, the Blues levelled.
Freddie Sears chased an Adam McDonnell ball forward to the right. Unnarstall rather needlessly came well off his line and the ex-West Ham man delicately chipped into the net from the edge of the box.
Fortuna should have restored their lead within seconds when the profligate Ya Konan was found eight yards out but Bialkowski again thwarted the Ivorian. On 40, Town’s Polish keeper once more saved from Ya Konan, this time pushing his long distance effort wide down to his right.
As the half moved into injury time, Fortuna retook the lead when Pohjanpalo swept home Kevin Akpogma’s low cross from the right.
Fortuna - who looked like a team much further through pre-season throughout - deserved their lead at the break and might have been further ahead but for Bialkowski’s saves and Ya Konan’s failure to take his opportunities.
Town’s one significant chance - or perhaps half-chance - was Sears’s opportunity which he took deftly. Town are expected to field an entirely different XI in the second half.
Town: Bialkowski, Hammond, Kenlock, Chambers, Clarke, McDonnell, Connolly, Skuse, Sears, Bishop, Henshall. Subs: Emmanuel, Gerken, Yorwerth, Smith, Tabb, Maitland-Niles, Bru, Benyu, Fraser, Stewart, Pitman. Att: 5,700 (Town: 600).