Comeback! Leitschi and Toto ensure victory!

Successful end of an intense three-game week! VfL Bochum 1848 were able to defeat Greuther Fürth on Saturday afternoon with a highly deserved 2-1 score. Maxim Leitsch, of all people, whom the fans celebrated after his slip-up in the cup, scored the opening goal. After the equaliser, Bella Kotchap had scored into his own net, it was left to the captain himself to send the 20,000 fans into delirium. A very important home win!

25th Bundesliga matchday, VfL Bochum 1848 started today in the last of three home games in seven days. After the previous games against RB Leipzig and the unfortunate elimination in the DFB-Pokal quarterfinals against SC Freiburg last Wednesday, now come the Kleeblätter from Fürth anne Castroper. Before the important game, head coach Thomas Reis made four changes compared to the cup game. Sebastian Polter took the place of Jürgen Locadia. Danilo Soares defended at left back for Konstantinos Stafylidis. Christopher Antwi-Adjei and Eduard Löwen started in place of Takuma Asano and Patrick Osterhage.

Here’s how the game went:

1′ Let’s go! The ball is rolling.

3′ Strong ball from Gamboa to Antwi-Adjei. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get it under control.

8′ Foul by Leitsch. Free kick from the right side. Itter brings the ball in, but Leitschi is on the spot again with his head.

10′ VfL is coming! We’re putting on the pressure now, we’re there. Great performance also in the stands!

14′ Tillmann with the first chance for Fürth. But we block it.

15′ Soares takes a free kick on the left side of the penalty area. Löwen brings the thing in! Linde fists the ball away. Antwi-Adjei’s shot misses to the left

20′ The first corner of the game for VfL. But it doesn’t bring in anything (yet).

26′ Riemann makes it exciting after a back pass. Leweling gets a foot on the ball, but nothing happens.

28′ Polter gets the ball again in the penalty area and wants to pass again. The goal must be sought.

34′ Foul Griesbeck on Polter. Directly at the edge of the penalty area. Dangerous thing!

35′ TOOOOOOR! Very strong free kick by Löwen, but also a great act by Linde! The ball hits the post, but Leitsch is there and pushes the ball over the line. Nice Leitschi!

39′ Antwi-Adjei passes Itter. Itter holds him. Yellow for Itter.

39′ Losilla with a scissor kick. Nice to watch, but over. VfL is now clearly the better team.

42′ Next shot from Losilla. Goes past on the right, but we are dominant.

44′ First foul Gamboa. Direct yellow. Dangerous free kick situation, but Antwi-Adjei clears it.

45′ Rexhbecaj again with a dangerous shot, past on the right.

45+1′ Another corner for Fürth before the break. Riemann catches it safely

Half-time: VfL go into the break with a 1-0 lead. Deserved, after an initially balanced game, we have become increasingly dominant and could after a great free kick and the Leitsch rebound deserved to take the lead. Now it’s time to build on that!

46′ The ball is rolling again! We go into the second half unchanged. Fürth makes two changes, bringing on Willems and Nielsen for Itter and Dudziak.

50′ We’re right back in it! Gamboa to Antwi-Adjei. First chance in the second half.

52′ Holtmann uses his speed on the left against Griesbeck. Ball to Polter, but he doesn’t hit it properly.

53′ The stadium is back in full force today. Atmosphere in the Vonovia Ruhrstadion outstanding!

56′ Free kick from the half-right for Fürth. Tillmann to Viergever. Header goes over to the right.

59′ Riemann plays at the 16er edge because ball before Hrgota to the outside, who remains lying and wants a free kick or even more? Clear swallow!

63′ VfL wins the ball! Polter to Holtmann. He shoots with his right, but Linde is there.

64′ GOAL! Equalizer for Fürth. Long ball to Hrgota, who brings the ball in from the left. Bella Kotchap can’t get out of the way and deflects into his own goal. Bitter. Because surprising, unfortunate and undeserved.

65′ Change of players for VfL! Holtmann and Löwen are replaced by Pantovic and Asano.

67′ Asano immediately with the first goal. But Linde parries.

70′ TOOOOOOOOR! Polter earns the corner and Losilla is there! Three contacts in the air and then with a little luck the thing purely. Technically demanding from our Capitano!

73′ Willems with the foul against Asano. Yellow card.

74′ Change of players for our VfL! Gamboa and Antwi-Adjei go out, Blum and Stafylidis come on.

78′ Blum fouls Meyerhöfer. Free kick from the right half of the field. But VfL can defend it.

82′ Pantovic makes the tactical foul and gets the yellow card.

87′ Soares with a strong finish! Linde can only tap it in. Dangerous situation, but the second ball lands with a Fürth player.

90′ Three minutes of stoppage time!

90+1′ Another player change on the VfL side! Masovic replaces Rexhbecaj.

90+3′ Abiama again with a harmless finish. Over. That should be it!

Full-time: Very important victory! VfL wins 2:1 against Fürth. A hard-earned, but completely deserved victory. Bochum did more for the game overall and created the better opportunities in a game with few chances. In the end, two goals from standards decided the game for VfL. Bochum thus secured three important points for the big goal of staying in the relegation zone. 32 points now on the account!