In the relegation battle of the 2nd Bundesliga, 1. FC Magdeburg sent a clear sign of life with a win against VfL Bochum. With the 4:1 (2:0) on Holy Saturday, the FCM (30 points) jumped from second to last place.
Lubambo Musonda (7th) and Baris Atik (44th) took the lead at halftime on matchday 28. After a shaky phase and Philipp Hofmann’s (56th) goal, Mateus Zukowski (71st, 73rd) secured the second win in a row for coach Petrik Sander’s team.
While Magdeburg was able to celebrate its first home win since matchday 14, Bochum (33 points) saw their lead over the relegation place shrink to a maximum of four points six matchdays before the end of the season.
FCM coach Petrik Sander expressed his satisfaction at the sports show: “Overall, there’s not much to complain about. We always tried to get deeper, the team stayed calm and composed and kept going. We couldn’t have expected that we could do that so confidently against Bochum given our form.”
Bochum’s coach Uwe Rösler was not completely disappointed despite the clear bankruptcy: “After the 0-2 we played really well, managed to catch up and should have made it 2-2. The third goal then killed us. Overall it was a deserved win for Magdeburg.”
Musonda exploits Magdeburg’s first attack
The game started optimally for the hosts, who were confident after two games without defeat. Magdeburg took the lead with the first chance. Central defender Marcus Mathisen sent Herbert Bockhorn on his way with a fine long ball down the right side. Musonda pressed into his flank at the penalty spot and nodded in the bottom left to make it 1-0.
That gave the Sander team another boost. Just a little later, Zukowski (12′) had the second goal on his hands, but under pressure he couldn’t get Ricmond Tachie’s pass into the Bochum box. The guests seemed strangely passive. Uwe Rösler’s team played waiting and forward, especially long balls.
Atik raises elegantly for the FCM
At least one of them led to the first chance, but Farid Alfa-Ruprecht (28th) failed alone in front of FCM goalkeeper Dominik Reimann. The Magdeburgers were completely different: they moved forward quickly and with a lot of energy. Left-back Musonda in particular was busy. During a solo over his side, he tested VfL keeper Timo Horn (30th) with a sly shot at the near corner.
Shortly before the half-time whistle, the hosts actually upped the ante – and how wonderfully: Mathisen found Atik, who was starting centrally, with a long ball from the halfway line, who in one movement took the ball while jumping and then used his left knee to push past Horn into the goal to make it 2-0.
Coach Rösler resuscitates VfL during the break
Bochum’s coach Rösler had probably seen enough and brought in another striker, Callum Marshall, for the second half. In addition, he had probably ordered his team to be significantly more active, because VfL suddenly attacked early and seemed much more grippy overall.
Koji Miyoshi (49th) missed a first good opportunity. And after the guests had survived Magdeburg’s great chance to score the third goal when Zukowski (50′) hit a cross pass from the right from 14 meters past the goal, VfL finally stepped on the gas.
Hofmann brings Bochum closer
Magdeburg was wobbling and Bochum quickly took advantage. Miyoshi played to Hofmann in the penalty area with his back to the goal. The veteran striker turned quickly, had a clear path and scored 1-2 from 12 meters. Ninth goal of the season for Hofmann and now the hosts were really struggling.
Reimann made a desperate save at the post against Marshall (61′), and a little later the FCM defense barely blocked a direct pass from Alfa-Ruprecht (67′) in the penalty area. Bochum wanted more – and conceded the third goal.
Magdeburg’s double strike ensures the decision
Because Magdeburg took advantage of a counterattack opportunity when Atik came through on the left into the penalty area and laid it nicely on Zukowski. He had no problems making it 3-1.
And it got even worse for the guests: From the kick-off, Mats Pnewig played a catastrophic blackout pass into the opponent’s feet. Tachie had his eye on Zukowski and he made it 4-1 with a dry shot from half-right with his 15th goal of the season. Within a few seconds, the FCM had closed the bag after a shaky phase.
Magdeburg in Paderborn, Bochum against Braunschweig
Magdeburg will be guests at SC Paderborn on matchday 29 on Sunday afternoon (April 12, 2026) (1:30 p.m.). Bochum also welcomes Eintracht Braunschweig on Sunday afternoon (1:30 p.m.) for a very important duel in order to avoid slipping further down.
