The Ruhr derby in Bochum is about an unusual record for Borussia Dortmund. Above all, the return to the Ruhrstadion should bring back memories of a scene that was discussed for days.
Borussia Dortmund was one point short of the championship last season. Another goal on the last matchday against 1. FSV Mainz 05 would have brought that one point and even one more. The goal that gave BVB at least one point in the 2-2 game was scored by Niklas Süle in the sixth minute of added time.
If you are looking for a missing point with Dortmund, you will end up in some away games in the second half of the season, such as the 2-2 at the later relegated FC Schalke 04, the 3-3 in the majority after a 2-0 lead at the later relegation participant VfB Stuttgart and the 1 :1 at relegation candidates VfL Bochum.
Dortmund came to the Ruhrstadion on April 29, 2023 as the leaders of the table, quickly fell 1-0 down, but equalized almost immediately. More than 80 minutes remained to score the winning goal. There were a few chances, some very good ones, but in the end it was almost all talk about one scene afterwards. Danilo Soares brought down Karim Adeyemi in the 65th minute in the Bochum penalty area. Referee Sascha Stegemann allowed play to continue, video assistant Robert Hartmann saw no reason to intervene.
Dortmund’s sports director Sebastian Kehl rumbled after the final whistle that it “Today I didn’t go to the right things” be. Such a serious allegation usually entails a penalty, but the German Football Association probably had a slightly guilty conscience. He did not initiate proceedings. Instead, the DFB found that there should have been a penalty. Stegemann also admitted his mistake.
Defenseless in Stuttgart
At least in the run-up to the only remaining Ruhr derby in the Bundesliga, it is not as explosive as it was at the end of April. But there is already a lot in the game, which kicks off at 3.30 p.m. on Saturday (26.08.2023) in the Ruhr Stadium (live in the radio report and in the ticker, excerpts of the game will be shown in the sports show from 6 p.m.).
VfL Bochum lost the start 0:5 at VfB Stuttgart and then self-critically and correctly stated that such performances would not allow them to stay up in the league. “We can only apologize to everyone who traveled with us”said coach Thomas Letsch, “You shouldn’t present yourself like that”.
Defenseless, VfL accepted a sensitive defeat, although basically everyone on Castroper Straße must know that the basic attitude has to be right in order to survive against the mostly better occupied competition.
Another VfL on the coach’s birthday
“We never got our principles on the pitch the way we wanted”complained Letsch, who at the same time asserted that the fans will see a different VfL against BVB on Saturday, his 55th birthday.
The BVB coach would also like to see a different BVB than at the beginning of the season. Edin Terzić complained after the start that it wouldn’t be enough like it was against 1. FC Köln: “We have to improve if we want to achieve our goals.” The goals are, at least again, those Champions League to achieve, but sooner “to play for the championship again”as Managing Director Hans-Joachim Watzke said.
painting second best Bundesliga shooter in the calendar year
Despite an unimaginative and at times sluggish performance, Dortmund defeated 1. FC Köln 1-0 thanks to a late Donyell Malen strike. The Dutch striker scored his tenth Bundesliga goal in the 2023 calendar year, only Randal Kolo Muani has more with eleven goals in that period.
Painting is a key factor in Terzić’s plan to have fast players on the wings who then pull themselves in the middle to finish, or to serve Sebastién Haller in the centre.
The plan didn’t work out against Cologne for a long time because Karim Adeyemi was initially on the bench after an injury that had just healed. Haller had a poor day with only 18 touches and without a shot on goal until he was substituted.
BVB could become the sole record holder
That’s why BVB was only just about to suffer a first setback and miss a record. In the past 128 Bundesliga games in which Dortmund played, there was no 0-0 draw. Borussia shares the record with FC Schalke 04, where they recorded their last goalless draw in October 2019.
Having the best mark alone would be a waste product of a victory in Bochum, especially since the balance sheet shows how difficult BVB are with their neighbors. Since being promoted again, VfL have only lost one of their four Bundesliga games against Dortmund.