Bochum: Big stage in the derby

VfL Bochum awarded the first match ball last Sunday and also showed a very weak idea. In 0: 2 against FC Augsburg, the hosts missed a lot of virtues who had awarded the team for long distances of the season.

• the scenarios
• Danilo Soares threatens to fall out
• winless series against Dortmund

The relegation should no longer be in danger, but of course it is also about crowning an outstanding season accordingly and ultimately not only managing the crucial step through outside help. However, that could be the case on Saturday.

the scenarios

Only if VfB Stuttgart turned its home game against VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday afternoon could the Swabians still intercept VfL Bochum on the home stretch. On the other hand, the climber would be safe if there was anything else in the game of the Stuttgart players than a threesome of the home team.

In this case, the VfL could cheer shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Saturday with its own defeat in Dortmund. But of course Thomas Reis attaches great importance to the fact that his team presents himself very differently than against Augsburg and also at SC Freiburg (0: 3) when the district club also disappointed.

The corresponding stage is of course prepared. "In Dortmund, in front of 80,000 spectators, of course we want to present ourselves very differently and show what we can do," says Reis. The Bochum fans have secured 8100 tickets; The VfL can therefore build on such a big support as rarely in an away game.

Danilo Soares threatens to fall out

It is becoming more and more likely that Danilo Soares really cannot participate after his commitment was extremely questionable before the Augsburg game. There the Brazilian mixed there, but at the beginning of the week he could not train because of back and hip complaints and will probably not be fit in time for the game in Dortmund.

Whatever the line-up, Bochum naturally goes into the neighborhood duel as a blatant outsider. However, this also applied before the first leg, but VfL offered the black and yellow slogan with great determination and passion and argued 1-1. So the VfL wants to present itself again: keep distances small, minimize mistakes, that is one of the demands of coach Reis to his team.

winless series against Dortmund

By the way, VfL only won one game of the latest 15 guest performances in Dortmund, when Thomas Reis was still under contract as a player in Bochum. In September 1999, a late goal from Delron Buckley was enough to win 1-0. At that time, however, rice had to fit due to an abdominal muscle strain.

This time he will conduct his team from the sidelines as usual after leaving the latest game against Augsburg because of his red lock. Incidentally, that was the second competitive game of the current season, in which rice was not on the sidelines. Previously, he had missed the encounter with Borussia Mönchengladbach because of his Covid 19 disease. Both games with assistant coach Markus Gellhaus as boss lost 0-2.