Initial disgrace: 0: 5! VfL Bochum is dismantled by VfB Stuttgart

VfL Bochum started the season with a defeat that was well deserved. At VfB Stuttgart, the team lost 0:5 (0:2) at the start, and were mercilessly punished by Stuttgarters who were initially very effective and later continued to be hungry. However, Bochum revealed exactly the weaknesses in defense and attack that they had shown too often in the previous season.

VfL Bochum at VfB Stuttgart: The live ticker to read:

Stuttgart – VfL Bochum 5:0

If proof was needed that this season VfL Bochum will only be about staying in class and that it will be another very difficult season, then this game was it. The elimination in the DFB-Pokal at Arminia Bielefeld was followed by an even weaker performance in the Bundesliga.

33 degrees welcome VfL Bochum to the first game of the new Bundesliga season in Stuttgart. Coach Thomas Letsch trusted a starting eleven, which was to be expected. Compared to the DFB Cup game against Arminia Bielefeld, he had only made one change. Maximilian Wittek, signed just a week ago, came on for Lukas Daschner and moved directly to the left flank.

Manuel Riemann in goal was to be expected, as was the back three formed by Ivan Ordets, Erhan Masovic and Bernardo. Alongside Wittek, Felix Passlack started on the flanks. Anthony Losilla and Kevin Stöger form the midfield, while Takuma Asano, Christopher Antwi-Adjei and Philipp Hofmann are supposed to provide pressure up front.

In an interview at the start of the season, Stuttgart’s Enzo Millot had suggested that it would be a tough game. “We know her style of play well from the past two years, it is very physical and intense. We have to accept that and fight back with the fans behind us. If we do that, we can also bring our footballing class to the field. In any case, we are ready.”

So were the fans – of both clubs. The Stuttgart fans ran to the MHP Arena in a fan march. The Canstatt curve, its east or south, or whatever you want, they completely wrapped in a huge banner: Canstatt curve.

The Bochum fans who traveled with us showed three banners, of course much smaller in comparison: “Our dream remains true. Bundesliga in its third year. Then there was the VfL logo. The Vfl fans presented themselves in top form again.

The VfL players wanted that too. The team has made it their goal to prevent goals and score goals with better odds this season. Philipp Hofmann could have shown after two minutes that he was more confident in the end. After a long ball at him, he was free in front of Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel, but pushed the ball past with his right. It was an opportunity that made it clear how Hofmann would classify it later – in the category: he has to do it.

With the very high temperatures, it was clear that there would be drinking breaks. Immediately after the first, Stuttgart made it 1-0 (18th). They quickly bridged the midfield, the VfL defense was unsorted. Serhou Guirassy ran behind Masovic, Hiroki Ita played the ball deep, Bernardo was too late, Riemann was just missing, the ball went in.

The Stuttgart leadership had not indicated. In a Bundesliga game, which was certainly not very fast but also intense because of the high temperatures, the teams took turns with little pressure and very short phases of possession. You can clearly see that the three central defenders still have room for improvement when it comes to building up the game.

In the past few seasons, a midfielder had always dropped back between the two central defenders and picked up the ball. Now the central defenders are challenged differently. However, that was not the reason why Bochum were behind. When it was 0: 1, there was simply a lack of attention for the decisive moment.

When it was 2-0 for Stuttgart, there was a lack of determination to want to decisively clear the ball at a Stuttgart corner kicked by Chris Führich (38th). Hofmann lost the header duel against Dan-Axel Zagadou far too easily. The Stuttgart led without much effort. Tough they had punished two mistakes from Bochum.

It was thanks to Riemann that Bochum didn’t even go into the break 0:3. In injury time, the Stuttgart team switched again quickly after a Bochum attack. The ball came to Wooyeong Jeong via Führich. Riemann deflected his shot from the outside of the foot to the crossbar. With the 3:0 the game would have been decided prematurely.

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However, after the break speech and refreshment, the Bochum team started the second half with the hope of finding their way back into the game and at least presenting themselves better than in the first half. Letsch wanted to initiate this by bringing in Simon Zoller for Hofmann.

Bochum needed something to adjust to the fact that the big, massive center forward was no longer waiting in the penalty area. Until then, however, they suddenly hit more crosses into the Stuttgart penalty area than in the entire first section.

Unaffected by this, the Bochum attack mostly still lacked the pace in the forward gear. In addition, there were still major negligence. Passlack and Masovic didn’t put any pressure on after an hour. He was able to cross appropriately, and Wittek completely overlooked Stuttgart’s Silas. All he had to do was push the ball over the line to make it 3-0. There it was, the decision. The 4:0 through Silas’ second goal (67th) and even more the 5:0 through Guirassy’s second goal (77th) would no longer have been necessary.

The next task will not be easier for Bochum. In their first home game on the second day of the game, they face Borussia Dortmund, who came second last season.

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