Lucky punch from Losilla: Bochum fights through

With a lucky punch, VfL Bochum has laboriously averted a cup embarrassment. In the second round, coach Thomas Letsch’s team won 1-0 (0-0) at third-division leaders SV Elversberg and reached the round of 16 for the third time in a row. For the league game against leaders Union Berlin, however, a decent increase is needed.

Anthony Losilla (85th) scored the only goal, the uncertainty of the past few weeks was noticeable in the Bundesliga bottom in every phase of the game. The Saarlanders missed out on taking part in the round of 16 at the fifth attempt, but showed a few playful highlights on the big stage, as they did in the opening win against Bayer Leverkusen.

Despite the precarious situation in the league, Letsch had set great goals for the cup. “The cup is about winning it in the end, even if that sounds presumptuous. That’s why you’re competing,” said the 54-year-old. That’s why he sent his best possible eleven onto the field, only Simon Zoller was missing due to a muscle injury.

On the offensive, the Bundesliga team struggled without their top scorer, and there was no sign of a class difference in front of 6,911 spectators. Instead, even the outsider showed the more mature game system, Kevin Koffi (15th) missed a first big chance. Then SVE captain Kevin Conrad had to go out injured.

The Saarland Cup winner needed a moment to sort himself out. However, apart from a slipped cross from Christopher Antwi-Adjei on the post (40th), VfL managed nothing. Coach Horst Steffen’s team selflessly defended man-to-man all over the field – and switched again and again at lightning speed. The only thing missing was the last pass.

After the change, Bochum improved a bit and held up better in the duels. Philipp Hofmann (55th) headed wide of the right after a free kick by centimeters. But the favorite didn’t get the Elversberger counterattack completely under control, Jannik Rochelt (58th) hit the lower edge of the crossbar from a distance in the thickening fog.

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