The most legendary battle for relegation ever experienced

The most intense fight to avoid relegation ever witnessed

The VfL Bochum had no hope - and they used this to their advantage. Despite a disastrous 0:3 defeat in the first leg, the team from Castrop-Rauxel managed to remain in the Bundesliga. Fortuna Düsseldorf turned things around, and it wasn't a nail-biting experience.

Can insanity really be amplified? Yes, there's no specific term for it, but there are actions. The VfL Bochum accomplished this by miraculously rising from the dead on a late Monday evening and completing a feat that few imagined possible. Perhaps even no one. At Fortuna Düsseldorf, the 0:3 debt from the first leg of relegation on Thursday was erased and transformed into a dramatic penalty shootout win. At 23:17, Takashi Uchino kicked the ball powerfully past the Bochum goal. He collapsed and with him, the world of Fortuna. Tears were everywhere.

The blue-and-white world was different. Goalkeeper Andreas Luthe stood up, sprinted immediately to the left towards his own fans' curve. Tim Oermann, the quickest player in the VfL squad, was the first to reach him. Everyone else followed, crossing the police line to protect the winning team. It was likely unnecessary, as the Düsseldorfers had fallen into a paralyzing silence. Time seemed to stand still, the stadium was silent. No cheers. Nothing. Only the chants from Bochum. "We stay here," written on the second hymn of the club, on the "Steiger song." Two very different worlds, as different as the two duels of these teams, which can rightfully be called the most epic in the history of relegation.

To describe what had occurred, the Bochum players couldn't come up with a single word. For example, the animated captain Anthony Losilla, who, in the bar with a beer in his hand, was searching for something similar in his football career but found nothing. And also the young Tim Oermann, who was inwardly excited by joy, dancing, celebrating, and enjoying wordplay. Madness here, madness there. Madness in the stadium, madness in the Bermuda Triangle, the party mile of the city. Tuesday morning? Who cared? A huge celebration to avoid relegation was still going on well past three in the morning. Again and again. The fact that many players had booked their flights for Tuesday at ten o'clock in the morning was as irrelevant as it could be.

The VfL will play in the Bundesliga for the fourth season in a row. "You and us in year 4" was written on the shirts that the players wore after the miracle. Had they still believed in it? Had they had shirts printed after the disaster of the previous week? Apparently not, apparently they had been long gone. Equipment manager Andreas Pahl believed in it. They only distributed them after the incredible event. No conjuring up.

Especially much space for escalation of events the club doesn't have anymore. The maximum of suffering and happiness was drawn from the VfL on this Monday evening. Two years ago, in the first year after returning to the top league, the Bochumers efficiently settled things and made class preservation clear early. In the summer of 2023, in the shadow of the Dortmund master drama, salvation was achieved on the last matchday, with a 3:0 against Bayer Leverkusen. To this day, the VfL is the only German team that has managed to defeat the monster team. And now this incredible night, which had a touch of the BVB about it. "Today, we are all heroes, no one needs to be highlighted," praised the omnipresent playmaker Kevin Stöger. "Respect for every player and the coaching staff. Above all, for our positive, crazy fans. I've always said that the club belongs in the first league. We've achieved it together. It's just simply unbelievable."

Nobody had expected Fortuna to crumble. But with every day that the first leg receded, the belief in the sensation in Bochum grew. And with every day that followed, the fear of the drama in the heads of the Düsseldorfers who had been so cold about the elite league team on Thursday. But this coldness, this ruthlessly clever approach, it vanished with every moment. And everything went perfectly. The Bochum player Matus Bero shot, Ao Tanaka picked up the ball, and shot his botched effort past (1.). The charged arena roared. With a giant red-and-white choreography, the team was sworn in before the kick-off. After four years of abstinence, they had to be back in the top league at all costs. Ecke, it landed on Vincent Vermeij's head, who collapsed in isolation. An early goal, that was the nail in the coffin for the VfL.

The Bochumers' only option was launching a full offensive against Lotte. They either had to become heroes or perish with dignity. The higher-ups had asked for a change in mindset and principles after their 0:3 loss in Ruhrstadion's catacombs on Thursday. And the footballers offered their response. Most prominently, Kevin Stöger, the one who orchestrated the miracle and has earned both admiration and ridicule for his daring words. Despite his impending exit from the team, the playmaker did everything he could to prove his belief in the grand scale. He handled the ball a staggering 168 times, which seemed like 1680 given the frequency of his possession. He deftly wiggled out of tight spots, sometimes gracefully, other times powerfully. His free kick into the penalty area in the 18th minute found its way to striker Philipp Hofmann's head, resulting in the opener: 0-1. A tinge of faith, a drop of fear. They were still far from collapsing, but the weight of both was evident.

The throng cheered on relentlessly, despite the visible signs of fatigue. The ball proved elusive when it landed at Tanaka's feet, who had all the space to roam during the initial minutes of the first half. It also affected Christos Tzolis, who had seemingly single-handedly taken on the VfL on Thursday. And when the Greek got a chance to shine, defenders Tim Oermann, captain Anthony Losilla, or Bero rushed to hinder him. On some occasions, it seemed as if they collided as if in pairs or threes. The Bochum squad, who'd experienced turbulent events during the season including the Manuel-Riemann conflict, faced major changes in their lineup, coaching, and potentially even the sporting management, was draining the opponents. The energy of the Rhinelanders was dwindling. Throughout the game, the VfL shifted between different formations. Daschner, the game's hero in the first leg due to courage and determination, darted between various positions - on the wing at times, and alongside Hofmann in the center at others. He was a wildcard that kept Dusseldorf preoccupied.

Bochum persisted, with Schlotterbeck scoring just inches away from the goal before halftime (41.). Daschner almost made it halfway through the second (44.), and within a minute, the VfL introduced Asano and Loosli as substitutes. These additions were important for the team, and the anticipation reached fever pitch. Fortuna shook uncomfortably as the fans' chants erupted. Stadiums are usually an arena of high-intensity emotion, but the overriding feeling at the moment was sheer panic. In the 59th minute, an audacious attack from VfL brought Asano and Loosli into the picture. These two made a dramatic impact on the field, with a combination of bravery and unwavering spirit. Daschner continued to display his fantastic skills, connecting passes with Hofmann in the center and flanking him repeatedly - 0:2 (66.). Everyone in blue raced onto the field, bolstered by the surreal turn of events. Then, in the 70th minute, Stoeger flanked yet again, landing the ball on Hofmann's head - this time for 0:3. In a flurry of uncontrollable emotions, Stoeger, a seasoned former player for Fortuna, had sent a corner, and had quickly indicated that there was a foul committed. The crowd erupted in a frenzy. Struggle intensified, struggle persisted, the final whistle loomed imminently.

"It goes down in the club's lore"

In the 72nd, Asano's header was stopped by keeper Florian Kastenmeier, who had glided in gracefully like a panther without missing a single step. The fear of a mishap loomed large over Bochum, whose energies had been fully expended. Just before the extension, Asano narrowly missed the mark, his shot at a cross from Patrick Osterhage inches away from his touch. The ensuing minutes were a dance between possession and counter-attack, punctuated by shouts of fear. However, right before the extension, Tzolis broke through the ranks, solo. The stadium held its breath, waiting. Bochum's reputation for late-minute miracles was notorious. But as Tzolis pushed the ball forward, Ivan Ordets, marevelously agile and physically imposing, cleared it. Corner. The ball landed at Jona Niemiec, who failed first at Asano's ensuing leg, then Loosli leapt into the penalty area and found the rebound. A last-minute rescue action from the substitute player, his defining moment in a VfL shirt.

Penalty shootout: Luthe saves the initial shot. Erhan Messovic misses the third one. The shooters remain calm until Uchino steps in. The sky turns dark, Dusseldorf trembles, Bochum explodes. The fireworks burn in the area, Felix Passlack, Maximilian Wittek, Captain Losilla stand in the center. No one can comprehend what's occurring. Extreme insanity. Incredibly intense chaos. "VfL Bochum will never collapse," Keven Schlotterbeck declared confidently two days earlier. The seemingly inert team suddenly reawakened. "We couldn't comprehend the few crazy people who kept believing in us," stated Luthe. "But we saw a team that believed completely in it. That such an occurrence would enter the club's history was astonishing." Just like Luthe, who announced his retirement immediately after the game. At the ideal time.