32nd matchday
Four Bochum goals in the relegation battle, Union’s resistance too late
VfL Bochum celebrates a goal-rich away win at Union Berlin in the relegation battle. photo
© Andreas Gora/dpa
This opponent suited VfL Bochum. The Revier club celebrates after a wild game against 1. FC Union, who forgot all their virtues for 45 minutes. Consequences are expected in Berlin.
The Revier club inflicted the next painful defeat on the Iron team with a score of 4:3 (3:0). Even an enormous increase in performance after the break was of no use to the Berliners. The race to catch up was not crowned. There is only one point from the last six games under (current) coach Nenad Bjelica.
The first half was a “smooth six,” said Union’s Rani Khedira at DAZN. He was incredibly sorry for the defeat. “I promise that we will perform very differently next week. We are trying everything to stay in the league. But we have to deal with all scenarios and be prepared for anything,” said Khedira.
Wittek with the double pack
While the Bochum team go into the last two matchdays of the Bundesliga with a small cushion and can no longer be relegated directly, a Union rescue in the condition of the first half only seems possible if the competition from Mainz and Cologne no longer scores enough points. Three goals conceded in the first half, that was the first Bundesliga home game against RB Leipzig in August 2019. Back then it was a lesson, this time it was a dismantling and a mortgage that was too big for the second half.
Maximilian Wittek (16th/31st minute), Keven Schlotterbeck (37th) and Philipp Hofmann (70th) scored the goals for the relieved guests in the sold-out stadium at the Alte Försterei with 22,012 spectators. “We took a big step today. We still have two difficult games ahead of us. But we want to stay in the league, nothing else counts,” said Wittek. Yorbe Vertessen (59th), Chris Bedia (62nd) with his first Bundesliga goal and Benedict Hollerbach (74th) provided ultimately worthless moments of hope for Berlin.
Where there is a crisis, there is a lot of talking. This is no different at Union. Before kick-off, club boss Dirk Zingler vehemently contradicted the “Kicker” report that Bjelica would be over in the Köpenick district after the season anyway. The team follows the coach, said Zingler at DAZN. The expiry date of the media confession could now quickly be reached. With their performance up to the half-time whistle, the Iron Men did not give the impression that Bjelica had given any impetus to the longed-for rescue.
Bochum fans: “We’re staying in”
The Bochum team exposed their deficits with their first quick attack. Wittek had little trouble shooting in a cross from Moritz Broschinski to give VfL the lead. Because it was so easy, the 28-year-old repeated his work on his own fifteen minutes later. Four Union professionals looked on politely from a safe distance that was not football-related. “Wake up,” the fans chanted. The deep sleep of the Iron Ones continued. Schlotterbeck – a non-relegation hero in Union’s debut season in the Bundesliga in 2020 – was invited without resistance to score the third goal for the visitors. “We’re staying in,” chanted the Bochum fans.
Conceding three goals against FC Bayern in a 5-1 defeat in the second half was just about bearable about two weeks ago. But against Bochum? There was a team on the pitch without any enthusiasm, without any will. But important words must have been spoken at halftime. After three changes (Aaronson, Bedia, Vertessen) and a tactical change, the Union’s fighting spirit was back. The goals from Vertessen and Bedia were forced in Union style. But there was no Berlin happy ending. With his goal, Hofmann showed the center forward qualities that Union lacks, even if Hollerbach provided hope again.