Gosens double pack, frustration for FCH
Bochum’s hammer shakes the slipping BVB properly
08/26/2023, 5:31 p.m
Borussia Dortmund makes the first mistake: In Bochum, BVB cannot get beyond a draw after a brilliant VfL lead. Robin Gosens shoots Union to the top in their debut XI, Heidenheim gives up the first win late and Wolfsburg turns the game in Cologne.
VfL Bochum – Borussia Dortmund 1: 1 (1: 0)
Vice-champion Borussia Dortmund is not yet in step in the new Bundesliga season. In the district derby at the small neighbors VfL Bochum, BVB had to settle for a 1-1 (0-1) draw. In the first half in particular, coach Edin Terzić’s team revealed glaring weaknesses that the difficult 1-0 win against 1. FC Köln had covered up. Bochum’s Patrick Osterhage was unlucky with a shot at the post (86th).
In an unequal duel, Kevin Stöger gave Bochum an early lead (13′), who recovered well after losing the cup at third division Arminia Bielefeld and the 5-0 defeat at VfB Stuttgart. Donyell Malen equalized – with the help of VfL goalkeeper Manuel Riemann – (56th) and thus prevented the first Bundesliga defeat in the Ruhr Stadium in 16 years. VfL has a squad value of 55 million euros, Dortmund’s star ensemble is worth more than eight times as much.
Terzić had changed three positions since the Cologne game: Among other things, new signing Felix Nmecha replaced the ailing former captain Marco Reus in the starting XI. National player Nico Schlotterbeck also slipped into the team for Niklas Süle, but there was no fraternal duel with Keven. On his 55th birthday, Bochum coach Thomas Letsch initially put the central defender, who had been loaned out again, on the bench.
Nmecha initiated Dortmund’s first chance to score, Julian Brandt just missed the goal (3rd). Only four minutes later, Sebastien Haller failed with a header at the strongly reacting VfL keeper Riemann. Bochum didn’t hide: Philipp Hofmann forced BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to make a brilliant save (9th). Nevertheless, the lead of the hosts came as a surprise: after a long shot by Riemann, Maximilian Wittek passed the ball on to Stöger, who hit the far corner with a brilliant shot. On the sidelines, the birthday boy Letsch celebrated the first goal of the season.
The runner-up was visibly shocked and found it very difficult against Bochum’s strong runners and strong fights, who countered dangerously several times. Kobel and Co. were lucky when Hofmann headed the ball onto the crossbar (33′). After the break, BVB put more pressure on, played more purposefully and faster, Bochum kept getting embarrassed. However, Riemann helped to equalize when he let a shot that lasted through. But the hosts held back with great fighting and running effort.
SV Darmstadt 98 – Union Berlin 1: 4 (1: 3)
With his first Bundesliga double, Robin Gosen’s Union Berlin has at least temporarily led to the top of the table. When the national player made his starting eleven debut, the relentlessly effective Champions League participant beat promoted Darmstadt 98 4-1 (3-1) despite being outnumbered for a long time and celebrated the first two wins at the start of a Bundesliga season.
The extremely strong Gosens (4th/34th) scored his first goals in the top German division. In addition, Kevin Behrens (39′) and Danilho Doekhi (65′) were successful for the standard experts from Köpenick after Brenden Aaronson had received a yellow-red card early in the game (21′). Darmstadt scored for the first time this season in a competitive game through Marvin Mehlem (24th), but is still waiting for the first point.
In front of 17,810 fans in the Böllenfalltor stadium, including DFB sporting director Rudi Völler, Gosens played for the first time in the Bundesliga from the start. The record transfer from Unioner, like Josip Juranovic, made a new start in comparison to the convincing success against FSV Mainz 05 (4:1).
Coach Urs Fischer showed exactly the right touch, Gosens got off to a dream start. It didn’t take four minutes for the newcomer from Inter Milan to grab the ball, circle two players from Darmstadt, complete the lead from 18 meters – and thus open an extremely varied and heated game – with the better end for Union.
SC Freiburg 1-0 Werder Bremen (0-0)
Werder Bremen finally messed up the start of the season. Coach Ole Werner’s team lost 0-1 (0-0) at SC Freiburg despite their courageous appearance and after the cup defeat and the kick-off clap against Bayern, they again didn’t celebrate a sense of achievement. The North Germans have been waiting for a win for eight competitive games across the season.
Returnee Maximilian Philipp (90 + 6) scored the golden goal and made for a dream start with two wins in two games. Only once before (2019) had the Sport-Club started with six points in its 23 Bundesliga seasons. Werder didn’t make enough of his promising transitions, Niclas Füllkrug and Co. lacked determination in the last third.
1. FC Cologne – VfL Wolfsburg 1: 2 (0: 0)
VfL Wolfsburg continued their perfect start thanks to Jonas Wind’s next brace and inflicted another defeat on 1. FC Köln. Coach Niko Kovac’s team won 2-1 (0-0) in front of 49,500 spectators in the cathedral city despite being behind in the meantime and has six points in the top group.
Goalscorer Wind (62’/72′) turned the game in favor of the guests after Waldschmidt (55′) on loan from Wolfsburg, of all things, had given FC the lead. After scoring twice in the 2-0 opening win against 1. FC Heidenheim, the Danish striker scored the third and fourth goals of the season. For Cologne, however, the false start is perfect.
1. FC Heidenheim – 1899 Hoffenheim 2: 2 (1: 0)
Also without a win at home: 1. FC Heidenheim has to wait for a first sense of achievement in the Bundesliga. Despite a two-goal lead, the promoted team also lost their first home game in the top flight and lost 2-3 (1-0) to TSG Hoffenheim.
Jan-Niklas Beste (26th) gave coach Frank Schmidt’s team a fantastic lead with the historic first Bundesliga goal from a free kick. After Marvin Pieringer (59′) added more in the second half in constant rain, Maximilian Beier (77′) and Pavel Kaderabek (80′) brought TSG back again, and Andrej Kramaric with a penalty (90′) finally turned the game around completely .