On Friday evening (03/10/23) VfL Bochum picked up three points in the Bundesliga from 1. FC Köln. Cologne lost 0:2 (0:1). First Kevin Stöger had Dusel in a penalty hit, then Erhan Masovic increased.
The Austrian placed the ball half-right on his attempt from the point and was lucky that Cologne keeper Marvin Schwäbe suspected the right corner but hadn’t dived all the way down. The ball slipped under the Domstädter goalkeeper (9th). The penalty kick was preceded by a foul by Cologne central defender Timo Hübers, who lightly touched Christopher Antwi-Adjei on the foot on the edge of the penalty area, causing the Bochum attacker to fall to the ground.
Cologne harmless, Bochum efficient
With this first goal in weeks, Bochum gained security, now won many tight situations, looked for counterattack opportunities – and found them. Takuma Asano finished dangerously twice (13th/31st). The guests tended to be more dangerous than Cologne, which had brought their own problematic series with them: FC had not scored in five of the previous six games.
The second half of the game, which was still fast-paced and good-class at the beginning, was much more confused. Bochum defended conscientiously and in a structured manner, Cologne also repeatedly allowed themselves misunderstandings on the offensive, and there were no real chances to score for a long time.
Stöger again with “luck”
Fifteen minutes before the end of the game, it was Erhan Masovic who converted a pass from Takuma Asano to make it 2-0 from Bochum’s perspective after Stöger’s free-kick variant that initially looked unsuccessful.
Coach Thomas Letsch’s team climbs to 14th place with only their seventh win of the season. Cologne, in twelfth place in the table, is still eight points ahead of the relegation zone, but has to look further down after just one win in the last eight games.
Cologne in Dortmund, Bochum against Leipzig
1. FC Köln is challenged on matchday 25 in Dortmund (Saturday, March 18, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.). Bochum receives RB Leipzig three hours beforehand.