2024-04-27 04:18:01
The Revierklub celebrates an important victory in the fight to stay in the league. It all starts with a dream goal – things get crazy in the final phase.
VfL Bochum was able to achieve a very important victory in the Bundesliga relegation battle. Driven by a passionate crowd in their own stadium, the Revierklub won 3:2 (2:0) against TSG Hoffenheim at the start of the 31st matchday. This means that VfL is temporarily ranked 14th in the table. With 30 points, 3 points ahead of the relegation place. Union Berlin (29) and Mainz 05 (27) can overtake or draw level again on Sunday.
Kevin Stöger’s double pack including a fantastic free kick (34th, 64th) and Felix Passlack (45th + 2) put the hosts well in the lead against Hoffenheim, who had been disappointing for a long time. In a turbulent final phase, Andrej Kramarić was able to unexpectedly reduce the deficit again (73rd, 84.).
This is how the game went:
Before the game, Bochum’s coach Heiko Butscher spoke of the most important game of the season. “We have to burn here, radiate optimism from the first second and move forward,” said the 43-year-old. And his team took him at his word. In the first ten minutes, Bochum created five chances to score. Philipp Hofmann alone had three degrees. With his best opportunity, Hoffenheim keeper Oliver Baumann barely steered the ball onto the crossbar.
Hofmann, who had been so conspicuous up front until then, briefly caused Bochum’s horror: the center forward hit Hoffenheim’s Wout Weghorst in the face in the VfL penalty area. Referee Tobias Stieler pointed to the penalty spot, but after a lengthy video review he withdrew the penalty because of an offside position.
TSG now made the game a little more balanced. But Bochum had the better chances. Attacker Moritz Broschinski was denied by Baumann from a slightly tight angle (33′), only around a minute later the goalkeeper had no chance to defend: Stöger flicked a free kick from around 17 meters into the corner.
Bochum played big
Hoffenheim was looking for a quick answer. Tim Drexler only hit the crossbar from the crowd in the six-yard box. Bochum did better: After a Broschinski cross from the left, Kramarić couldn’t get the ball under control and Passlack scored from close range to make it 2-0. For Baumann it was the 715th Bundesliga goal conceded – the same number Harald “Toni” Schumacher had to accept. Only Eike Immel and Dieter Burdenski conceded more goals in the German top flight in their careers. And for Baumann it wasn’t to be the last goal conceded of the evening.
Bochum played big. The strong Stöger increased the score to 3-0 with a converted rebound. Hoffenheim, on the other hand, hardly appeared on the offensive for a long time – and yet they came close again. Kramaric first made it 1:3 and then even made it 2:3 with a wonderful lob over Bochum’s Manuel Riemann.
Nervousness spread among the VfL fans. The home team suddenly wobbled – Iwan Ordets went down after a cramp – but didn’t fall. A long-range shot from Marius Bülter flew just over the goal. The fans frenetically celebrated the final whistle after five minutes of stoppage time.
At TSG, where there had recently been major discussions about the club’s future line-up, things weren’t expected to get any quieter after this appearance