Mith courage, offensive power and passion, VfL Bochum’s oldest squad in the Bundesliga defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach and scored valuable three points against relegation. The team of trainer Thomas Letsch defeated the favorite Rhinelander “anne Castroper” well deserved 2:1 (2:0) on Tuesday evening. Christopher Antwi-Adjei in the seventh minute and Philipp Hofmann (12th) scored in front of 25,900 spectators in the atmospheric Ruhrstadion for the hosts, who celebrated their third home win in a row under Letsch – and their third win this season overall. Previously, all home games had been lost.
“Of course that gives us a push. We just have to score points away from home as soon as possible,” said Bochum’s goal scorer Hofmann in an interview with Sky, but was initially very satisfied: “We’re back in business.”
Borussia, on the other hand, remains without a win away from home in this Bundesliga season. The Gladbachers, who were very weak for long stretches of the game and only managed to get the goal back from Alassane Pléa (62nd), are stuck in mid-table under coach Daniel Farke with 19 points after 14 games. Bochum is penultimate with ten points, but has contact with the saving ranks.
The Bochum fans celebrated even before the game, but the reason goes back a long time: Participation in the UEFA Cup 25 years ago. The VfL supporters, who are usually not used to success this season, didn’t have to wait long for their first goal celebrations with seven points from 13 games. After a pass from Simon Zoller, Antwi-Adjei only had one left in front of him: Gladbach’s third goalkeeper, Jan Olschowsky. The 20-year-old had to play because after regular keeper Yann Sommer, his replacement Tobias Sippel was injured. And his competitive professional debut could not have taken a worse course. Antwi-Adjei scored, it was not offside either, as the video control confirmed.
Bochum starting eleven on average 31.3 years old
But that’s not all about the oldies from the pot: With an average of 31.3 years, VfL sent the oldest team in its Bundesliga history to the field. Bochum pushed and pushed and, in a highly dominant early phase, scored their second goal just five minutes later – after only eleven goals in 13 times 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Gladbach’s central defender Nico Elvedi made a devastating back pass towards Olschowsky. He didn’t get the ball, but VfL professional Hofmann did, effortlessly pushing it in to make it 2-0. The fans could keep partying.
Bochum couldn’t keep up the pressure, and they didn’t have to. The guests from Gladbach were pretty harmless anyway. There was little sign of an upturn after the 3-1 win over VfB Stuttgart last Friday after four games without a win. The first chance: In stoppage time in the first half. Ramy Bensebaini’s header clearly missed Bochum’s goal. VfL went into the dressing room with applause. “It doesn’t get any better than that,” said VfL legend and football school director Dariusz Wosz during the break on the Sky broadcaster.
And Bochum continued after the change of sides. The advanced defender Ivan Ordets only hit the post with his header. The Gladbachers, on the other hand, hardly allowed themselves to develop an orderly and creative play from the defense, but then made a serious mistake deep in their own half when Jonas Hofmann put Kevin Stöger under pressure and he shot the ball at the Gladbacher. The rebound landed on Marcus Thuram, who in turn hung up Plea. And then, following a corner, Bensebaini rose and headed the ball into the goal. The Gladbachers who traveled with them cheered too early: offside after video evidence.