Heidenheim does not take advantage of Bochum's bad blackout
In the relegation battle, promoted Heidenheim and VfL Bochum are in desperate need of a win - but it doesn't work out for either team. After a tough battle, the basement dwellers share the points. Tim Kleindienst misses a huge chance shortly before the end.
VfL Bochum missed out on two big points in the relegation battle in the Bundesliga. Coach Thomas Letsch's team were held to a 0-0 draw at 1. FC Heidenheim and remain behind the promoted side in the table. The visitors were barely active in attack, shied away from taking risks and only had real chances to score late on. In a low-level match, VfL almost completely dispensed with their own wing play, but the path through the center was usually well blocked by Heidenheim. However, 1. FCH were not compelling enough in attack either - until Tim Kleindienst (89) missed a great chance to take the lead shortly before the end. Before that, defender Erhan Masovic had badly misplaced the ball.
Both coaches were expecting a real "battle game", as Letsch called it, with "lots of transitional situations, lots of long balls and little detail", as his colleague Frank Schmidt assisted. And that's exactly how it turned out. Letsch gave Bochum the motto for this: "Give it to him!" However, his team's initially very left-sided play faltered - also because the visitors did not do well enough in the build-up. In addition, they hardly managed to tie up the long balls up front.
Eren Dinkci (2), who will miss Heidenheim after picking up his fifth yellow card at RB Leipzig, had the first chance but only hit the outside of the net. At the other end, Kevin Stöger came closest to scoring with his shot from distance (21). It soon became apparent that FCH were taking a slightly more offensive approach than in Munich (2:4) with Adrian Beck replacing Norman Theuerkauf in the starting eleven. Dinkci failed to beat VfL goalkeeper Manuel Riemann (25') and Beck missed the target (28'). Standards can also be a tool," said Schmidt: Captain Patrick Mainka headed over after a corner (38').
In the second half, FCH keeper Kevin Müller had to intervene for the first time when he saved a shot from Patrick Osterhage (53'). The home side replied with the first opportunity for goalscorer Kleindienst (58'), but Bochum were finally in better shape. Müller saved from Bernardo (61). After just over an hour, Schmidt tried to inject more momentum with a triple substitution. Heidenheim now actually ventured a little more and opened up space for Bochum. Takuma Asano missed the potential 0:1 (76'), at the other end Riemann saved from joker Nikola Dovedan (77').
Source: www.ntv.de
