Fortuna pack, relegation threatened
Slapstick own goal leads to Bochum’s downfall
23.05.2024, 22:25
VfL Bochum got off to a flying start in the first leg of the relegation play-offs – and quickly fell behind after a disastrous own goal against Düsseldorf. Fortuna picked up the pace in the second half and after a goalkeeping mistake the door to the Bundesliga was wide open. Bochum is in danger of being relegated for the seventh time in the club’s history.
Fortuna Düsseldorf impressively passed the difficult test in the Ruhrstadion cauldron and opened the door to the Bundesliga wide. The Düsseldorf team won the relegation first leg against Bundesliga 16th-placed VfL Bochum thanks to “sly dog” Christos Tzolis with 3:0 (1:0) and will hold on to the lead in the return leg on Monday (8.30 p.m./Sky and Sat.1 and in the live ticker on ntv.de) have all the cards for their return to the Bundesliga in their own hands.
“It’s only half time. It’s a good result for the first leg, no question about it. We have to go in on Monday with the same passion,” said Düsseldorf’s Marcel Sobottka on Sat.1. “We’re happy about the win and are enjoying the evening, but from tomorrow on it’s all about full regeneration.”
Coach Daniel Thioune’s team was helped by a slapstick own goal by Philipp Hofmann (13th) in front of 26,000 loud spectators after Tzolis cheekily took a corner directly at goal. Felix Klaus (64th) and Yannik Engelhardt (72nd) each scored against a shocked Bochum team after an assist from Tzolis. While Fortuna’s return to the Bundesliga after four years is within reach, VfL is threatened with relegation after three years in the top flight.
Bochum “messed up as a team today”
“It’s difficult after a game like that. The boys should bust their asses on Monday, hope dies last. We don’t want to be relegated like this,” said Bochum’s Keven Schlotterbeck. Kevin Stöger added on the Sky microphone: “We messed up as a team today.”
Bochum’s sports director Patrick Fabian was already “very tense before the match, we now have two finals. Everything is at stake,” he told Sky. As announced, the hosts started without their regular goalkeeper Manuel Riemann, who had been dropped from the squad for the two games due to “irreconcilable differences of opinion on team-related issues.”
Riemann was replaced by veteran Andreas Luthe in goal. Captain Anthony Losilla also surprisingly sat on the bench. Düsseldorf’s captain Andre Hoffmann also had to watch. In front of Bayern professional Leon Goretzka, who was sitting in the stands wearing a VfL jersey, both teams played a physical game – in which Fortuna shocked the hosts early on. A corner from second division top scorer Tzolis hit the post, the ball bounced off Hofmann’s thigh and then into his own goal. It was Bochum’s fifth own goal this season.
Luthe lets free kick bounce forward
VfL tried hard, but after good combinations they rarely found a taker for crosses into the penalty area. Düsseldorf were physically strong, but initially acted too imprecisely. A free kick from Bochum’s substitute captain Kevin Stöger (21′) went just over the bar.
After the break, the guests became more determined in their advances, and Luthe just managed to deflect a shot from Klaus past the goal (50′). Bochum’s attacks repeatedly frustrated Düsseldorf’s defensive wall. On the other side, Klaus completed a strong Fortuna counterattack after a brilliant pass from Tzolis to make it 2-0.
Then Fortuna really got going. Riemann’s substitute Luthe let a Tzolis free kick bounce forward, Engelhardt was there and pushed in the deciding goal after the mistake. Klaus then almost scored the next Fortuna goal, but only hit the crossbar (82′). Some VfL fans left the stadium early.