Match Report
2-0 defeat in Bochum: another setback for BVB
Boris Rupert reporting from Bochum
It was a back and forth, intense, hard-fought match with lots of shots on goal for both sides. VfL were more clinical, and celebrated a Masouras brace in the 33rd and 35th minutes to make it 2-0.
The scenario:
18th against 11th. No team had won less often at home than Bochum (twice). BVB had collected six of their meagre total of eight away points so far in their last four games on the road. Their last defeat at the Ruhr stadium was 18 years ago (March 2007). However, the Black & Yellows had won only six of their 33 Bundesliga away games against VfL.
Personnel matters:
Head coach Kovac still had to make do without Nmecha (knee) and left-back Bensebaini (muscle issue), while Ryerson was also missing from the match against Stuttgart after receiving two yellow cards against Stuttgart. Süle was back in the team, and took Ryerson's spot at right-back..
Tactics:
Bochum set up with a five-man back-line without the ball and started aggressively and offensively, putting pressure on the Dortmund build-up play with high pressing and tried to draw the Black & Yellows into plenty of duels. Operating in their compact 3-5-2 formation, the hosts repeatedly pushed forward quickly. BVB lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Svensson joining Sabitzer in central midfield while in possession, with Groß operating in the inside-left.
The match & analysis:
Almost the full first ten minutes were played in the Dortmund half. The first sign of danger came after just 42 seconds, when Schlotterbeck's last-ditch block deflected Bero's shot out for a corner. Masouras was denied by Kobel in a promising situation in both the third and ninth minutes. Then came Dortmund: Groß headed a Brandt cross just past the far post in the 10th minute, before Guirassy's flat shot in the penalty area was tipped wide by Horn seconds later. After almost a quarter of an hour, Brandt tried his luck from long-range, but his shot flew wide of the left post.
It was during this period, when more and more of the action was taking place in and around the Bochum penalty area, that VfL took the lead: Krauß picked up the pace from an inside-left position and played in Hofmann, who took aim from the inside-left of the penalty area, and Masouras got his toe on the ball on the goal line to prod the ball home in the 33rd minute. Two minutes later, Süle misjudged a back-pass. Masouras snapped up the loose ball to find himself one-on-one with Kobel, and coolly fired home into the left corner to make it 2-0. The Dortmund response was constant pressure until the half-time whistle. Guirassy had the best chance in the 41st minute, when he got on the end of Can's high pass, unintentionally extended flicked on by Ordets, but his volley from seven yards out flew over the bar.
On a more positive note, BVB did not capitulate after going 2-0 down, and turned the shots stats around from 4-0 down after ten minutes to 10-8 up before the break. They also came out of the dressing room and exerted plenty of pressure (after Özcan replaced Sabitzer at half-time). Brandt fired off a shot on the turn from eleven yards out after he was found by Gittens, but his effort was too close to the keeper and did not have the venom needed to cause Horn any problems in the 52nd minute.
But Dortmund were not able to keep up the pace for the duration, and also made mistakes, with sloppy passes or poor control, meaning that VfL could not only escape the pressure exerted by BVB, and even created a triple chance to extend their lead to 3-0 after an hour. They had another opportunity after 69 minutes, when Dortmund substitute Couto gave the ball away to Masouras, but Kobel parried both the Greek's first attempt and his follow-up shot.
The stats line after 83 minutes spoke in Dortmund's favour, with 7-2 corners and 17-16 shots, but both the crosses and the shots lacked the necessary accuracy and power to turn the game around – despite Dortmund's best efforts and dominance.
Outlook:
On Wednesday (kick-off: 18:45 CET!), Borussia Dortmund are looking to make it into the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 in their second leg against Sporting Lisbon. In the Bundesliga, Union Berlin will be the guests at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK next Saturday (18:30 CET).
Teams & goals
Football Bundesliga, Matchday 22 Saturday, 15 February 2025, 15:30 CET
VFL BOCHUM – BORUSSIA DORTMUND 2-0 (2-0)
VfL Bochum: Horn – Oermann, Masovic, Ordets, Bernardo, Holtmann (Gamboa, 74) – Sissoko – Bero, Krauß (Losilla, 90+1) – Masouras (Broschinski, 88), Hofmann (de Wit, 88)
Bor. Dortmund: Kobel – Süle (Couto, 64), Can, Schlotterbeck, Svensson – Sabitzer (Özcan, 46), Groß (Reyna, 80) – Adeyemi (Duranville, 64), Brandt, Gittens (Beier, 58) – Guirassy
Bench: Grave, Medic, Miyoshi, Pannewig, Bamba – Meyer, Anton, Kabar, Azhil
Goals: 1-0 Masouras (Hofmann, 33), 2-0 Masouras (35),
Corner kicks: 2-8 (half-time: 2-3), Chances: 10-6 (5-3)
Referee: Osmers (Hanover), Yellow card: Bernardo
Attendance: 26,000 (sold-out), Weather: cloudy, 2 degrees