It’s finally done: Arminia Bielefeld achieved her first victory in her own stadium in the last home game of the first half of the season and sent a sign of life in the fight against relegation. The team of coach Frank Kramer deservedly won the West duel against the last strong VfL Bochum 2-0 (0-0). The Japanese Masaya Okugawa (51st) with his fourth goal of the season and the Austrian Patrick Wimmer (69th) scored the goals on Tuesday evening. With the last home win in April, Ostwestfalen sealed the relegation of FC Schalke 04.
With 13 points, the previous year’s climber will probably still hibernate in a direct relegation place, but he kept in contact with the saving ranks. “It’s definitely nice to have won, but things will continue on Saturday,” said goal scorer Wimmer. The team has the next chance against RB Leipzig, “maybe it will be even closer after the game and we will keep up with the top places in the table”.
The gap to the Bochumers is now only seven points. The promoted team had previously only lost two of their last eight games. “We didn’t take place today as a team. We had almost no scoring chance, ”said Bochum’s attacker Sebastian Polter angrily.
Kramer had put captain and striker Fabian Klos on the bench for the first time in two months and only for the third time this season. But he started with a double top: Janni Serra (23) and Florian Krüger (22), both former U21 national players, both came from the 2nd division in the summer – and both still without a goal of the season. Which stayed that way.
First shot on goal in 21st minute
In front of 13,750 spectators, the Arminia started powerfully, but the momentum was quickly gone. And because VfL tried first and foremost for compactness, the first shot on goal of the entire game was not made until the 21st minute. And that resulted from a bad pass from VfL captain Anthony Losilla; Wimmer served Alessandro Schöpf, but he failed because of Bochum’s goalkeeper Manuel Riemann.
The Arminia was now inspired, the guests unsettled. But a shot by Wimmer after another blunder by Erhan Masovic was blocked by Danilo Soares (23). It took VfL up to the 37th minute to come dangerously in front of goal for the first time, but Gerrit Holtmann failed after a nice counterattack by Stefan Ortega.
Bochum also had the first chance after the change through their best offensive player Christopher Antwi-Adjei (48th). But then Arminia took the lead when Okugawa won the header against Christian Gamboa after a cross from Wimmer. After an hour, Kramer took the unfortunate Serra and Krüger down and brought Bryan Lasme as well as Klos.
VfL coach Thomas Reis also made an offensive move early on, but then his otherwise reliable goalkeeper failed: Riemann let a harmless shot by Wimmer slip over his fingers and enabled the best player on the field to score his second goal of the season.
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