Matchday 13 - 3:1 against Wolfsburg: Bochum celebrates first home win of the season
VfL Bochum 's redemptive first home win of the season has given them some breathing space in the relegation battle in the Bundesliga. Bochum won 3:1 (2:1) against VfL Wolfsburg and now have 13 points after 13 games.
Ambitious Wolfsburg, on the other hand, are in danger of losing touch with the European Cup places after their sixth away defeat in a row.
Midfielder Patrick Osterhage (19th) and full-back Bernardo (40th) gave Bochum a 2-0 lead with their first Bundesliga goals. Mattias Svanberg (45.+1) initially reduced the deficit for Lower Saxony, but Christopher Antwi-Adjei (87) made things clear with Bochum's third goal.
Wolfsburg coach Niko Kovac lost for the first time in his 13th Bundesliga match as a player or coach against Bochum, who had extended the contract of fellow coach Thomas Letsch until 2026 on Thursday.
Letsch only made one change - but it was somewhat surprising. Matus Bero was back in the starting eleven after tearing a knee ligament on matchday 6. At Wolfsburg, Kovac would have preferred to start with the same starting eleven after the 2-1 win against Leipzig. However, Sebastiaan Bornauw had to withdraw with an injury and Moritz Jenz started for him in the back three.
Pressing start from Bochum
Bochum, who had suffered two heavy defeats in the VfL duels last year (1:5 and 0:4), started with commitment and pressure. But it was a mishap that almost gave them the lead: Wolfsburg keeper Koen Casteels saw the ball bounce over his foot after a back pass from Ridle Baku, but he was able to clear it centimetres from the line (13'). A few seconds later, Casteels made a great save against Bero.
It was the starting signal for a real Bochum push and after several blocked attempts, the reward soon followed. After a corner kick, Erhan Masovic headed the ball back to the edge of the box, Osterhage put it on his strong left foot and scored with a low shot. Wolfsburg looked surprisingly emotionless and Bochum went one better. First captain Anthony Losilla hit the post (38'), then Bernado headed in from a corner.
VfL goalkeeper Riemann increasingly in focus
Kovac watched the next setback almost motionlessly with his arms folded in front of his chest. Svansberg equalized shortly before the half-time whistle after a great pass from Jonas Wind, seemingly out of nowhere.
The visitors increased the pressure after the break, with VfL goalkeeper Manuel Riemann increasingly in the spotlight as the game wore on. However, Bochum defended passionately and launched the odd dangerous counter-attack. This also resulted in Antwi-Adjei's goal.
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- Bochum's first home win of the season against Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga has provided them with some respite in their relegation battle, securing 13 points after 13 games.
- Wolfsburg, striving for European Cup places, are now at risk of losing touch following their sixth consecutive away defeat.
- Niko Kovac, Wolfsburg's coach, suffered his first loss against Bochum in his 13th Bundesliga match as either a player or coach, despite his team's impressive 2-1 victory against Leipzig in their previous match.
- Thomas Letsch, Bochum's coach, extended his contract until 2026, and his team's commitment and pressure played a crucial role in their home victory.
- Matus Bero, who had been sidelined due to a knee ligament tear, returned to the Bochum starting eleven, and his team's performances were noticeably improved.
- Bochum, determined to avenge last year's heavy defeats against Wolfsburg (1:5 and 0:4), started with vigor and ultimately secured a deserving 3:1 win.
- Koen Casteels, Watford's renowned goalkeeper loaned to Wolfsburg, had a crucial role in keeping Bochum at bay, making several impressive saves and preventing an early goal due to a backpass error.
- VfL Wolfsburg, despite a promising start with Mattias Svanberg equalizing before half-time, were unable to maintain their momentum against a resilient Bochum side and ultimately lost the relegation battle's crucial home match.
Source: www.stern.de
