Çorum FK
Bodrum FK
Salernitana
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Bologna
Juventus
Start of the second half of the season. VfL Wolfbsurg are the visitors at Castroper Straße. Unfortunately, the match will be played behind closed doors, but anyway we’re looking forward for to a thrilling encounter. Currently, we’re standing above the team from Lower Saxony in the table, due to a better goal difference. A fact that probably least experts would have expected before the season. Our LOOK AHEAD to #BOCWOB.
THE TEAM
A top start to the season, despite being eliminated from the DFB-Pokal in the first round due to making more subs than they were allowed. However, Wolfsburg got off to a really good start in the league. Unfortunately, they started with a narrow 1-0 victory against us as their main striker, Wout Weghorst scored the decisive goal. But, there are persistent rumours about the Dutch international leaving the club. It would certainly be a painful departure, even if the Wolves had signed several attacking players before this season. New international Lukas Nmecha joined the club as well as Luca Waldschmidt and Dodi Lukebakio. Nevertheless, the Wolves would have liked to add another forward. But as is well known, their preferred candidate, Pepi opted for rival Augsburg in the winter. So, for the time being, Weghorst will continue to play a key role. He has scored six goals to date, just like the currently injured Nmecha.
THE HEAD COACH
It was the first swap of managers of this Bundesliga season. After the Wolfsburg officials sacked Mark van Bommel despite his good start to the season with four wins, Florian Kohfeldt made his return to a top flight manager’s bench on October 26. Until May 2021 he had been coach of Werder Bremen, who suffered relegation the 2. Bundesliga on the last matchday of the 20-21 season. Kohlfeldt got off to a flying start with successful fixtures in the Bundesliga as well as in the Champions League. However, this was followed by a slump. In sporting terms, the Wolves have fallen short of expectations with only 20 points after the first half of the season. Kohlfeldt feels, however, according to his own statement, “the maximum backing”. “It’s a we. It’s about how we get out of this situation”, explains the manager.
THE RECORD
Both teams have met 28 times so far and the balance is in favour of Bochum, who have won 13 of the 28 encounters while Wolfsburg got only 11 wins on their sheet. Back in November 2007, it was a special victory for VfL when the home team racked up a spectacular 5-3 victory. Stanislav Šesták with two goals, Marcel Maltritz, Danny Fuchs and Joël Epalle secured the Bundesliga win for Bochum. It was a special match as Bochum were already 4-0 up after first 45 minutes – the most goals a Bochum team ever scored in the first half of a Bundesliga fixture. In the end, the three points were helping massively to secure the league. The first leg match this season went extremely bitter for VfL as the comeback to the Bundesliga after eleven hard years didn’t start well. Only four minutes were played when Robert Tesche was sent off due to a hand ball on the goal line. The home team dominated the opening stages but as the game went on, the Thomas Reis’ team got better into the game and even came close to score the equaliser – despite being outnumbered for most of the time. In the end, Bochum had to head back home empty-handed – so it’s time to keep the three points this weekend!
