Pre-Match Report
A long time unbeaten in Bochum, but with few wins
The scenario: Borussia Dortmund have suffered eight defeats this season, which is already more than they lost in the entire previous campaign. The 29 points from 21 matches are the fewest they have had in the last 10 years. Back then, in the last year of Klopp's tenure, it stood at just 22. VfL Bochum have only won twice but may still be awarded a win for their game at Union Berlin (the initial ruling was in favour of VfL) and would thus draw level on points with Kiel (13), one point behind the relegation play-off place currently occupied by Heidenheim (14).
Home & away: No team have won fewer home games than Bochum (two), while they've also suffered more home defeats (five) than they did in the whole of the 2023/24 season (four). BVB have picked up six of their eight away points in their last four away games.
Head-to-head: Bochum have not beaten Borussia in their last six competitive games (three defeats and two draws in the league, and a 2-1 defeat in the DFB-Pokal in February 2023). The last time BVB lost at the Ruhr Stadium was 18 years ago, in March 2007, when VfL ran out 2-0 winners. However, the Black & Yellows have only won a total of six of their 33 Bundesliga visits to VfL. The win rate (18%) is therefore just as low as BVB's win rate when visiting Bayern Munich.
Statistics: VfL have not won in four matchdays and are the team with the fewest victories overall. The last of their two wins this season came on 15 January with a 1-0 away sucess over FC St. Pauli. BVB's triumph in Heidenheim was their only win in their last six Bundesliga games.
Playing style: Bochum make the most tackles and fouls in the league. However, that's not to say they park the bus. They have taken more shots on goal than nine other Bundesliga clubs, many of them from long range.
Biggest home win: BVB have won three of their matches in Bochum by a scoreline of 2-0, and only once by more than two goals: on 13 March 2010, BVB took an early 2-0 lead after 26 minutes with goals from Sebastian Kehl and Mohamed Zidan, and went on to win 4-1. Lewis Holtby had pulled one back ten minutes after the restart, but Lucas Barrios made the win safe with a brace scored in the 74th and 77th minutes.
Last season: In front of 26,000 spectators in the sold-out Vonovia Ruhr Stadium, VfL took the lead in the 13th minute through Kevin Stöger and held on to it until the 56th minute, when Donyell Malen's shot from distance hit the back of the net. BVB never really got into the game and had to settle for a draw. Bochum had more shots on goal than BVB (17-13, 6-3 on target). A goal probability of 3.2% was estimated for both goals scored in the game.
Compiled by Boris Rupert