With the redeeming first home win of the season, VfL Bochum has gained some breathing room in the relegation battle of the Bundesliga. The Bochum team won against VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 (2-1) on Saturday and have 13 points after 13 games. The ambitious Wolfsburg team, on the other hand, are in danger of losing contact with the European Cup places after their sixth away defeat in a row.
Midfielder Patrick Osterhage (19th) and full-back Bernardo (40th) gave Bochum a 2-0 lead with their first Bundesliga goal. Mattias Svanberg (45th + 1) initially shortened the score for Lower Saxony, but Christopher Antwi-Adjei (87th) made things clear with Bochum’s third goal.
Wolfsburg coach Niko Kovac lost in his 13th Bundesliga duel as a player or coach for the first time against Bochum, which extended the contract of fellow coach Thomas Letsch until 2026 on Thursday.
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Letsch only made one change – but it was a bit surprising. Matus Bero was back in the starting line-up straight away after he tore his knee ligament on matchday 6. At Wolfsburg, Kovac would have preferred to start the game with the same starting eleven after the 2-1 win against Leipzig. Sebastiaan Bornauw had to pass when he was injured, and Moritz Jenz started in his place in the back three.
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The Bochum team, who had suffered two bitter defeats in the VfL duels last year with 1:5 and 0:4, started with commitment and pressure. But it was a mishap that almost gave them the lead: Wolfsburg keeper Koen Casteels had the ball jump over his foot after a back pass from Ridle Baku, but he was able to clear it centimeters from the line (13th). A few seconds later, Casteels parried really well against Bero.
It was the starting signal for a real Bochum pressure phase, and after several blocked attempts, the reward quickly followed. After a corner, Erhan Masovic headed the ball back to the edge of the penalty area, Osterhage placed it on his strong left foot and scored with a low shot. Wolfsburg seemed surprisingly emotionless, and Bochum followed up. First captain Anthony Losilla hit the post (38th), then Bernado headed in from a corner.
Kovac watched the next setback almost motionless with his arms crossed over his chest. Svansberg’s equalizer shortly before the half-time whistle after a great pass from Jonas Wind felt like it came out of nowhere.
After the break, the guests increased the pressure, and as the game went on, VfL goalkeeper Manuel Riemann became more of a focus. However, the Bochum team defended passionately and launched one or two dangerous counterattacks. This also resulted in Antwi-Adjei’s goal.
Ngoumou scores for Gladbach
With their fourth home win in a row, Borussia Mönchengladbach moved into the top half of the table and inflicted their first away defeat on TSG Hoffenheim this Bundesliga season. The hosts defeated Kraichgauer, who had not won in five competitive games, 2-1 (0-0) on Saturday and thus celebrated their fourth win in a row against Hoffenheim. In front of 49,341 spectators at Borussia Park, Alassane Plea (58th minute/foul penalty) and Nathan Ngoumou (80th) scored the goals for Gladbach. Wout Weghorst (60th) scored for the guests.
Hoffenheim’s coach Pellegrino Matarazzo gave his team a little makeover after the recent, sometimes uninspired performances and called four new players into the team. This time Andrej Kramaric also had to make do with a place on the bench. Finn Ole Becker came into the starting line-up for the suspended Grischa Prömel.
With the new momentum, the guests had good offensive scenes right from the start. Maximilian Beier narrowly missed the opening goal twice (3rd/19th). Anton Stach failed shortly afterwards and again before the break with a long-range shot against Gladbach’s keeper Moritz Nicolas, who played a strong game.
A week after the 4-2 defeat at Borussia Dortmund, the Gladbachers were forced to make some changes because defensive players Julian Weigl and Maximilian Wöber as well as the two strikers Tomas Cvancara and Jordan Siebatcheu were not available.
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Florian Neuhaus and Marvin Friedrich returned to the starting lineup after four games. In the center of the attack, coach Gerardo Seoane surprisingly relied on the fast Ngoumou, whose pace initially only caused danger on the offensive. “This is the boys’ chance and they can use it and present themselves again for the cup game,” said the Swiss coach, who will face VfL Wolfsburg with his team in the DFB Cup round of 16 on Tuesday.
However, the hosts overall had a difficult time against Hoffenheim’s compact defense. The Gladbachers had few scoring opportunities. The best still had Rocco Reitz, who shot over the goal from close range and a tight angle shortly before the break, and Plea, whose shot just missed the left post.
A penalty gave the hosts the lead. The fouled player took advantage of a foul by Ozan Kabak on Plea and converted the penalty to make it 1-0. In return, Weghorst saved Hoffenheim’s away series with his fourth goal of the season. But Ngoumou saved Gladbach’s victory after a pass from Luca Netz.
Heidenheim annoys Leipzig
After losing two competitive games recently, RB Leipzig has returned to fourth place in the Bundesliga. Coach Marco Rose’s team won with some difficulty against newcomers 1. FC Heidenheim 2:1 (2:1) on Saturday and at least temporarily overtook runner-up Borussia Dortmund, who only play in the top game against league leaders Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.
VfL Wolfsburg suffered their sixth away defeat in a row with 1:3 (1:2) at VfL Bochum. Borussia Mönchengladbach finished 2-1 (0-0) against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, who lost away for the first time. FC Bayern Munich’s home game against Union Berlin was canceled due to heavy snowfall.
In Leipzig, Lois Openda scored his tenth goal of the season with a penalty kick (29th) and Yussuf Poulsen (44th) secured victory for the Leipzig team, who recently came close twice in the league against VfL Wolfsburg (1:2) and in the premier class against Manchester City (2:3) had lost. The Heidenheim goal by Benedikt Gimber was not enough for the promoted team (45th).
Two days after his contract extension until 2026, Bochum coach Thomas Letsch celebrated the first home win of the season. Patrick Osterhage (19th), Bernardo (39th) and Christopher Antwi-Adjej (87th) scored for Westphalia, while only Mattias Svanberg was able to shorten the score for Wolfsburg (45th).
In Mönchengladbach, Alassane Plea converted a penalty kick (58′) and Nathan Ngoumou (80′) let the hosts celebrate, while only Wout Weghorst (60′) was able to shorten the score for Hoffenheim. The Kraichgauers, who were in sixth place and had previously scored 16 out of 18 possible points away, came away empty-handed.
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Meanwhile, the weather chaos put a damper on FC Bayern’s plans. Extreme snowfall led to the cancellation of the game against Union Berlin. Above all, safety concerns due to roof avalanches in the Allianz Arena and the tense traffic situation prevented the event from taking place. An alternative date is not fixed yet.
This puts Union Berlin in last place in the table for the time being, as 1. FC Köln left the relegation places with a 1-0 win at newly promoted SV Darmstadt 98 on Friday.
Snow in Munich causes game cancellation
After the cancellation of FC Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga home game against 1. FC Union Berlin, the team from Köpenick began their journey home immediately. “We are now all on the way home to Berlin together,” the club announced on Saturday. The encounter had to be canceled due to the weather chaos in southern Germany. “Even if it had been possible to bring the pitch in the Allianz Arena into a condition that would have allowed the game to take place by the afternoon, security risks and the traffic situation made a cancellation unavoidable,” the record champions said in a statement.
Since flight operations at Munich Airport and train services to and from the main train station in Munich had been suspended, the return journey had to be organized spontaneously. “Buses, cars and minibuses” would be available as means of transport for the entourage of the bottom team. In the evening the award for Berlin’s Athletes of the Year will take place. Union has won the last three champion elections.
