In a season of many setbacks, the team have so far always managed to pick themselves back up. The disappointment – including the clearly articulated frustration about the performance in front of goal – will continue throughout the long training week. But at 17:00 CET on Sunday, when they take the final steps down the tunnel to warm up, “the Yellow Wall will be shining”. There are still four games remaining, three of them at home!

For the spectators at Bochum’s Ruhrstadion, the “Little Derby” was top class. It was end to end. Borussia’s superiority against a passionately defending VfL side was overwhelming in the closing stages. But after the furious start and Adeyemi’s early equaliser (7), they could only get the better of VfL custodian Riemann once more – despite creating a series of high-quality chances. And Hummels’ goal in the 90th minute did not count due to a narrow offside, which the officiating team did spot – unlike the foul on Can which enabled the pass to Asano before the opening goal, unlike the clear offence against Adeyemi in the box and unlike the handball by Masovic, which was particularly irksome from BVB’s point of view because Bochum had been awarded a penalty for a lot, lot less at the same stadium in the DFB-Pokal several weeks earlier.

“If you don’t manage to score the goals by yourselves and then there are these key moments, then it’s not easy to come away here on the winning side,” said Edin Terzic at the press conference. He was particularly annoyed with the fact that it “was not only a clear penalty but there would have been a second yellow card too” and demanded “that everything is done in this phase of the season to ensure no erroneous decisions are made”. But the VAR seemingly did not intervene and the referee himself did not use the opportunity to take a look at the controversial incidents on the pitchside monitor.

Even though the criticism of the refereeing decisions is dominating the headlines, the Black & Yellows were very much and very clearly concentrating on themselves after the final whistle. “It’s bitter that we didn’t manage to get the three points. We need to focus on ourselves and do what we can do,” said Julian Ryerson. “Given the many great chances, we should’ve decided the game in our favour. In such moments, you need to stay cool and score the goal,” criticised Jude Bellingham, while Julian Brandt added: “I’m more frustrated about the things you can influence yourself, and those were the chances.”

Rather than falling four points behind before Sunday, it is now within Bayern’s power to leapfrog Borussia in the table again. “It was a chance to put a bit of pressure on the south,” said a frustrated Brandt, who went on to add: “We still have a few exciting weeks ahead of us. We won’t give up.”

“A setback. But it’s not lost yet,” echoed Gregor Kobel. Jude Bellingham is looking forward. “There are still four games to go, there have already been so many ups and downs this season.” Edin Terzic advised his team “to get back up again tomorrow and give everything, despite all the disappointment. We have often felt this season how quickly things can change in the space of a few days. We might no longer have it in our own hands. But that doesn’t mean that we’ll stop. We’ll keep going! There are still four games left, there are still 12 points. There are three games at our place in Dortmund.”

Three games with a 12th man, with and in front of a stadium that can win games.
Boris Rupert