Relief at FC Schalke, helplessness at VfL Bochum – the 1: 3 (0: 1) in the duel of the previously winless Revierclubs has further aggravated the crisis at the bottom of the Bundesliga table.
After Dominick Drexler’s 0:1 (38th minute), Erhan Masovic’s own goal (73rd) and Sebastian Polter’s late goal (90th 6), Bochum soccer teacher Thomas Reis has to fear for his job more than ever . Even the interim equalizer on Saturday by Simon Zoller (52nd) did not give his team the first point they had hoped for.
On the other hand, the situation for his colleague Frank Kramer has calmed down for the time being after the success in front of 62,041 spectators in the sold-out Veltins Arena. The first win since promotion helped Schalke jump to 12th place.
Media reports that VfL coach Reis is said to have held talks with FC Schalke this summer had 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 (15′) 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 added time, the ex-Bochumer Polter made sure of the final score.
Information about the game Schalke squad Bochum squad
