Bochum continues to exploit a situation following a harsh clampdown.
Even the renowned fan Leon Goretzka: VfL Bochum faces the prospect of relegation after losing the first leg of the playoffs against Düsseldorf with a disappointing score of 0:3. Upset substitute goalkeeper Andreas Luthe stormed into the locker room in a frenzy while center back Keven Schlotterbeck expressed his fear, stating that "miracles could happen" on Monday.
Fortuna's Christos Tzolis dominated the game with three assists, causing Bochum's Ruhrstadion to resound with cheers for promotion from the Fortuna supporters. Fortuna's impressive performance left VfL Bochum on the brink of relegation, while frustration was palpable at the final whistle.
Andreas Luthe swiftly entered the dressing room, while the rest of the Bochum players slumped in front of the disgruntled spectators, their heads hanging. VfL faced horrendous feelings after the devastating defeat in the relegation play-off's first leg against Fortuna Düsseldorf. Avoidance of relegation to Bundesliga 2 seemed impossible unless their luck changed significantly. Noble fan Leon Goretzka experienced the discomfort along with the crowd.
"Today you've been dealt such a brutal slap that you only have two options: either lose 0:6 on Monday or show up with a chance to turn the situation around," commented Keven Schlotterbeck, remarkable in his persistence: "I still have faith in it. VfL Bochum will never go down."
However, with three years in the top league, it looked as if relegation was inevitable. VfL was outplayed for a significant part of the game, and Fortuna's Bundesliga team failed to subdue Tzolis, the wondrous provider of three assists.
Düsseldorf received a helping hand from Fortuna's surprising own goal by Philipp Hofmann (13) after Tzolis casually headed the ball towards the goal. Felix Klaus (64') and Yannik Engelhardt (72') both netted goals from passess provided by Tzolis against a bewildered Bochum team.
"The boys have to double their efforts on Monday," implored Schlotterbeck, his faith not entirely lost: "We can't accept relegation like this." Meanwhile, Kevin Stöger summarized the match on Sky: "We missed the boat as a team today."
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Source: www.ntv.de
