Existence struggle in the Bundesliga
Bochum gets draw and prevents early descent
Updated on 02.05.2025 – 10:48 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Bochum has previously avoided the early relegation from the Bundesliga. VfL fought a draw in the basement duel in Heidenheim.
The important duel in the Bundesliga descent battle between 1. FC Heidenheim and VfL Bochum has ended. In the Heidenheim Voith-Arena it was said after the final whistle.
Bochum has thus prevented early relegation. With now 22 points, VfL remains in 18th place in the table. Heidenheim continues to rank with 26 points at relegation rank 16. If the FCH defeated the Westphalia on Friday evening, the remaining class for VfL would no longer have been possible.
The game was overshadowed by a bad clash, after which Heidenheim’s goalkeeper Kevin Müller was treated for a long time and then replaced. Overall, the game was interrupted for almost ten minutes (you can read more about this here.).
“This is really difficult for both teams to find their way back into the game after such a long interruption,” said Bochums of the situation visibly impressed goalkeeper Timo Horn after the game at DAZN. After that, he wished his Heidenheim colleague a speedy recovery.
The Bochumers had set themselves up a lot, but had to digest a first setback in the initial phase. Attacker Philipp Hofmann had to go off the field after eight minutes. But for Leonardo Scienza, too, his first starting eleven mission has not continued in weeks (28th). Heidenheim’s offensive player had also injured himself in an air duel.
Heidenheim’s head coach Frank Schmidt also emphasized the importance of the game. “For us it is also about everything, but not all or nothing,” he meant. His team, in which the yellow-locked Niklas Dorsch was missing, initially exerted pressure on standard situations. However, the guests managed to defuse the resting balls and to open the game openly.
Again and again they developed opportunities – the best awarded for Hofmann, Successful Myron Boadu (32nd). On the other hand, VfL goalkeeper Timo Horn saved from the approaching Marnon Busch (35th).
The second round began with a shock moment. After a violent clash in the 50th minute, Müller had to be treated with Ibrahima Sissoko for around ten minutes before he was brought off the field under encouraging “Kevin Müller” calls. Frank Feller came for him.
At first it was visibly difficult for both teams to focus on the relegation battle and football. The hosts acted more dangerous after the long interruption. A “Lucky Punch”, like a week ago at the 1-0 at VfB Stuttgart, was not granted to them because Bochum’s goalkeeper Timo Horn steered a shot from Adrian Beck to the outer post in the 10th minute of stoppage time.