THomas Reis trotted across the pitch of the Schalke Arena with an expressionless expression on his face. While the FC Schalke players celebrated their first win of the season with the fans, the VfL Bochum coach didn’t bat an eyelid after the 1:3 (0:1) on Saturday. In view of the sixth defeat in the sixth game of the season, the coach of the bottom of the table has to fear for his job more than ever. Even if he was combative after the final whistle.
“I want to continue to knock the buck with the team,” said Reis on Sky. “We have the next game next week and will do everything we can to get the first points.” He saw a team “that was absolutely willing,” added the coach. “I would like to continue because I say this is my team.”
But the next defeat aggravated the situation at VfL. After Dominick Drexler’s 0:1 (38th minute), Erhan Masovic’s own goal (73rd) and Sebastian Polter’s late goal (90+6), Bochum is still bottom of the table. Even the interim equalizer on Saturday by Simon Zoller (52nd) did not give his team the first point they had hoped for. “After six games it’s very, very, very – I would almost say pathetic,” said Zoller.
On the other hand, the situation for his colleague Frank Kramer has eased for the time being after the success in front of 62,041 spectators in the sold-out arena. The first win since promotion helped Schalke jump to 12th place. “When you see this, you’re totally happy, totally happy,” said Kramer.
Bochum stronger after the break
Media reports that VfL coach Reis is said to have held talks with FC Schalke this summer caused additional explosiveness before the duel. With the heated mood and the growing pressure, Schalke seemed to be doing better. At the beginning of the game they took control and forced their neighbors on the defensive. The early and injury-related substitution of Takuma Asano in the 4th minute also hampered the flow of the Bochum game.
But the Schalke plus in possession of the ball was initially hardly reflected in chances. The hosts only came close to taking the lead when Simon Terodde (15th) had a shot blocked by Masovic. The lack of royal blue penetrating power encouraged Bochum to resist more. But just when they seemed better in the game after two chances from Simon Zoller (23./35.), they fell behind. VfL keeper Manuel Riemann was only able to fend off a deflected shot by Marius Bülter, which Draxler used to take the lead with a direct acceptance. This 0:1 had a visible effect on the tail light. Up to the break, the VfL game faltered again.
But after the restart, the picture changed. Bochum were rewarded early on for their much greater enthusiasm when Zoller pushed a ball over the line from close range after assists from Asano substitutes Gerrit Holtmann and Philipp Hofmann, ending his team’s goal drought that had lasted for three games.
This equalization ushered in a hard-fought final phase. After minutes of shock, FC Schalke increased the pressure. A shot by striker Terodde (71st) on the crossbar was the starting signal for an offensive that caused problems for Bochum’s defense. Just two minutes later, Masovic deflected a Tobias Mohr free-kick into his own net. With his headed goal after a Mohr cross in injury time, the ex-Bochumer Polter made sure of the final score.
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