Thanks to a wonderful free kick, VfL Bochum defeated Hoffenheim and got some breathing room in the bottom of the table – but they still had to tremble.
The Bochum team climbed to 14th place on Friday evening (April 26, 2024) with their 3-2 (2-0) win against TSG, at least temporarily overtaking Mainz and Union Berlin. The goals from Stöger (34th, 64th) and Felix Passlack (45th + 2) brought the well-deserved victory. Andrej Kramaric (73./84.) once again caused great excitement with a brace, but the Bochum team managed to win over time.
“I was just relieved after the final whistle because the drama of the game was crazy,” Bochum’s coach Heiko Butscher told Sportschau. “We played a great game. Under the pressure we were under, leading 3-0 and being closer to the fourth than to the goal…”
Andreas Kramer, sports show, April 26, 2024 11:00 p.m
Bochum ends negative series
Hoffenheim coach Pellegrino Materazzo admitted that Bochum were the better team over 70 minutes. “They put us under extreme stress at every moment of the game. We didn’t have the resources or solutions to avoid it.”
The TSG made a mistake in the race for seventh place, which will most likely result in a starting place in the Conference League. Bochum ended its negative streak of eight games without a win and increased its lead over direct relegation spot 17 to eight points for the time being. 1. FC Köln, who are placed there, will play at Mainz 05 on Sunday.
Andreas Kramer, sports show, April 26, 2024 11:00 p.m
Baumann initially outstanding
VfL had already started bravely and, above all, dangerously in front of a loud home crowd. “It was a great interaction between the fans and the team today. We pushed the fans, the fans pushed us,” said Bochum’s double goalscorer Stöger. “I think Hoffenheim didn’t quite get to grips with that and we benefited enormously.”
At the beginning, Bochum bit their teeth on Hoffenheim’s goalkeeper Oliver Baumann. His save in the 6th minute was particularly spectacular when he directed Philipp Hofmann’s shot from close range onto the crossbar.
In the 24th minute, Bochum seemed to take revenge for missing their chances. Hofmann hit Wout Weghorst in the face with his foot in his own penalty area, referee Tobias Stieler awarded a penalty for Hoffenheim. But after a long review, video referee Robert Kampka reported that Weghorst had been offside – it was a very thin matter.
Stöger hits the corner
Bochum were also the better team afterwards and were rewarded with a wonderful free-kick goal from Stöger. From 18 meters, the playmaker stroked the ball over the wall into the corner.
Shortly afterwards, Hoffenheim also made their presence felt dangerously when Drexler hit the crossbar, but Bochum’s second goal was also up to par. Hoffenheim’s attacker Kramaric made a technical error in his own penalty area. Passlack took advantage of the chance and scored from close range.
VfL Bochum celebrates their 2-0 win against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Bochum with many opportunities
After the break the same picture emerged as before: Bochum fought and combined well and had many chances. Hoffenheim, on the other hand, was hardly in the game, rarely had any goals and was far from the performance of a potential European Cup participant.
Bochum’s third goal was deserved. Moritz Broschinski shot from a tight angle, the ball landed from Baumann’s chest at Stöger’s feet – and the Austrian just had to push in.
Kramaric with a world-class goal
When the game seemed already decided, Kramaric turned up the heat. First he directed a shot from David Jurasek into the Bochum goal, then he scored in world-class style. He stopped a long ball at full speed and shot it from 15 meters over goalkeeper Manuel Riemann into the top right corner.
Suddenly Bochum had to tremble and retreated far away. Hoffenheim started running and were unlucky that referee Stieler wrongly whistled off a promising counterattack.
Hoffenheim against Leipzig, Bochum in Berlin
On the 32nd matchday, TSG hosts RB Leipzig in the Friday evening game (8:30 p.m.), two days later Bochum has to play against 1. FC Union Berlin, who are also still in danger of relegation (Sunday, 3:30 p.m.). Captain Anthony Losilla will be missing because he received his tenth yellow card against Hoffenheim.