The conditions for a good start to 2024 could be worse for Bochum. Hardly any regular players are missing – and an unusually large number of home games await in the first phase.
VfL Bochum feels particularly comfortable in their home stadium – like here in the 3-0 win against Union. IMAGO/Team 2
The game against Werder Bremen at Castroper Straße starts on Sunday. Six days later, coach Thomas Letsch’s team will play again at home, then against VfB Stuttgart. The game plan in the first weeks of 2024 is a bit strange from Bochum’s perspective: VfL will play six of the first nine games until mid-March in the beloved Ruhrstadion.
VfL’s away record in the current round is not that bad. But at home, the Bochum team can of course really exploit their special strengths with the greatest passion and full commitment in the familiar and narrow stadium on Castroper Straße.
The game against Borussia Mönchengladbach was the exception this season, when VfL was pretty out of its depth, often didn’t get into the duels and delivered a pretty poor performance in the 1:3. “Otherwise,” says Letsch, “we always played intensely and very aggressively at home.”
Last year we played an absolutely weak game in Bremen and deservedly lost.
The game plan is a bit strange and certainly not a disadvantage, and the Bochum team’s personnel situation is also quite unusual. VfL will have to give up Takuma Asano, their previous best goalscorer for the Asian Cup, and reliable central defender Ivan Ordets will be missing for a longer period of time due to his knee injury.
Otherwise, the entire squad is available, apart from substitute goalkeeper Michael Esser, who has a knee injury. “That,” says Letsch, “is quite extraordinary.” At the beginning of the week there was still a question mark over the use of center forward Goncalo Paciencia. But the Portuguese, who have been successful three times despite a long break, will also be fit in time for the game against their table neighbors Werder, who, like Bochum, are six points ahead of the relegation zone.
Weak record against Werder
“Last year we played an absolutely weak game in Bremen and deservedly lost,” remembers Letsch. “But that’s over, we have a home game and that’s how we want to present ourselves.” Bochum, for example, was in strong shape at home against Wolfsburg and Union and remained unbeaten in the last four home games with two wins and two draws.
However, the record against Werder Bremen is incredibly weak: the Bochum team have only won one of the most recent 19 games against their rivals from the Weser.
2024-01-12 14:24:30
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