Monday March 22, 2021
HSV ousted from the top
Sober Bochumers shake off Fortuna
Bochum is determined. With a clarified appearance and thanks to some inadequacies of the opponent, VfL established themselves at the top in the promotion race for the Bundesliga. Düsseldorf can meanwhile bury higher ambitions.
Few chances, but a lot of profit: The ice-cold promotion candidates of VfL Bochum stormed back to the top of the table in the 2nd Bundesliga. The team of coach Thomas Reis prevailed in an entertaining and fast-paced game with 3-0 (2-0) at Fortuna Düsseldorf and is again two points ahead of the first rival Hamburger SV. The fourth-placed Holstein Kiel, however, still has two games less and could overtake the Bochumers if the yield is optimal.
Simon Zoller with his twelfth goal of the season (12th), Gerrit Holtmann (35th) and Joker Soma Novothny (87th) scored for VfL, who struck in the decisive phases with brutal effectiveness and put the hosts who played well in the style of a top team .
Fortuna operated real usury in the first half. The already minimal Düsseldorf chances of returning to the Bundesliga tend towards zero. With eight remaining games of the season, the Rhinelander, who have not yet celebrated a win against the “Top 4” of the league, are seven points behind the relegation place.
Fortuna wastes chance after chance
Düsseldorf got off to a furious start with perfect external conditions. VfL goalkeeper Manuel Riemann parried a header from Dawid Kownacki (7th) brilliantly, a minute later the Bochum goalkeeper saved the post when Kristoffer Peterson deflected volleyball (8th).
Bochum seemed to have its problems ten days after the 2-0 defeat against HSV, but was there after the first attack, which was quickly carried forward via the left side, with the first chance from Zoller.
The goal slowed the game down a bit, but Fortuna remained dangerous: Top scorer Rouwen Hennings (18./30.) Missed two good opportunities, then the conspicuous Peterson should have equalized (34.), again defused Riemann.
Bochum hit the hosts in the heart again with his second good combination, while Düsseldorf missed further chances, some of them best, with Kownacki (38th) and Matthias Zimmermann (51st) and again Hennings (52nd). Without striker Kenan Karaman, who had to leave for the Turkish national team, Fortuna remained committed, but acted undecided. Bochum was now counterattacked more often. Holtmann (52nd) missed the preliminary decision.
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