Bochum shortly before relegation
Bayer curses about curious penalty mistakes
4/10/2022, 5:27 p.m
A game with few chances between VfL Bochum and Bayer Leverkusen does not find a winner. Especially because Moussa Diaby sunk a penalty in the goal, but the goal didn’t count. While Bochum is slowly securing relegation, the Werkself can’t put any pressure on BVB.
No goals, but two winners: In the Bundesliga West duel, VfL Bochum and Bayer Leverkusen shared the points at 0-0 and came even closer to their goals for the season. Three weeks after the cup throwing scandal, the promoted team from the Ruhr area took another step towards staying up and increased the gap to the relegation place to ten points.
The Rhinelanders consolidated their third place in the race to return to the Champions League. Even more important: there were no incidents, the 25,000 spectators in the sold-out Ruhrstadion, reminded again and again by announcements, kept all their drinks to themselves.
The Werkself celebrated the supposed opening goal in the 65th minute. Moussa Diaby converted a penalty kick but slipped on the shot and illegally touched the ball twice. Referee Felix Zwayer took the goal back. “Annoying,” said Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky. But the guests could also live with the division of points. “We didn’t find the gap. But the point can still be important,” said Hradecky at DAZN. As a result, the Rhinelanders secured third place in the Champions League.
Bochum’s slat clapper
After the game was abandoned due to the cup being thrown at assistant referee Christian Gittelmann, the VfL fans were under particular observation. Among other things, the club had installed additional video technology in order to be able to identify perpetrators more quickly. The Leverkusen supporters could not resist a mocking comment. “Win or throw a cup” was written on a banner in the guest corner. Then the Bayer fans with pyrotechnics caused a delayed kick-off.
The game on Castroper Straße got off to a hectic start, with many fouls and turnovers. Neither team was able to get order into their game at first. Leverkusen acted a little more purposefully and got into the penalty area time and time again without really creating a goal threat. A Patrik Schick header over the crossbar (23rd) was the clearest option.
Bayer coach Gerardo Seoane had to replace national player Jonathan Tah after half an hour, who had been injured in a running duel with VfL striker Sebastian Polter. As the playing time increased, the guests found more and more of their combination game. But Bochum had the best chance before the break: Danilo Soares hit the crossbar with a deflected shot (42′).
After the change of sides, the game became a little more open, both teams tried to bridge the midfield faster. After a foul by substitute Eduard Löwen on Paulinho, Zwayer gave Leverkusen a penalty, but Diaby failed to score properly. Things got emotional in the 81st minute. To the cheers of VfL fans, Simon Zoller made his comeback in September after tearing his cruciate ligament.