Bundesliga - 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 on Saturday 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.
Bochum, who had suffered two heavy defeats in the VfL duels the previous 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.
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.
Information on the match at bundesliga.de
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- Despite losing to Bochum, Wolfsburg's ambition remains to secure a spot in the European Cup, despite their six consecutive away defeats.
- Koen Casteels, the Wolfsburg goalkeeper, had a close call early in the game when a backpass went astray, nearly giving Bochum an early lead.
- The home win for Bochum against Wolfsburg was their first of the season and boosted their position in the relegation battle in the Bundesliga.
- In the Lower Saxony derby, it was midfielder Patrick Osterhage and full-back Bernardo who each scored their first Bundesliga goals, giving Bochum a 2-0 lead.
- VfL Bochum defended passionately and even managed a dangerous counter-attack that led to Christopher Antwi-Adjei's third goal, putting the game out of Wolfsburg's reach.
- Despite the loss, Wolfsburg coach Niko Kovac, who previously had an unbeaten record against Bochum as a player and coach, focused on the upcoming fixtures to turn things around in this relegation battle.
- Bochum's fellow coach Thomas Letsch saw his contract extended until 2026, which caused some surprise as he only made one change to the lineup ahead of the crucial game against Wolfsburg.
- In the Bundesliga soccer league, Bochum's first home win and Wolfsburg's sixth away defeat further emphasize the challenge both teams face in their respective battles—Bochum in the relegation zone and Wolfsburg in the push for European Cup spots—as they play in the fiercely competitive North Rhine-Westphalia region.
Source: www.stern.de
