Thanks to Marco Reus in the quarterfinals: BVB beats VfL Bochum in the DFB Cup

Can meets strange

Thanks to a crazy goal by Emre Can almost from the halfway line and the individual class in attack, Borussia Dortmund made it into the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup at VfL Bochum. Coach Edin Terzic’s team defeated their rivals in the round of 16 on Wednesday evening 2-1 (1-0). Can (45.+1 minute) after a bad pass from Bochum’s keeper Manuel Riemann and Marco Reus (70.) scored the goals for BVB, who have won all their games so far this year, in front of 26,000 fans in the sold-out Ruhrstadion.

After five home wins in a row, it was Bochum’s first defeat in a competitive game in front of their own crowd under coach Thomas Letsch. Kevin Stöger had taken care of the VfL equalizer with a hand penalty (64th). With BVB advancing, all of the teams in the top six of the Bundesliga table have made it through to the quarter-finals. At the time when the round of the last eight teams was played, this had never happened before in the history of the cup.

Terzic had expected a “passionate opponent who wants to trip us up” – and Bochum played the same way. The hosts disrupted Dortmund’s build-up play with their running strength and aggressiveness, but they still had the first big chance of the game: when Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (13′) shot from close range, VfL goalkeeper Riemann was there with a strong foot reflex.

In terms of play, BVB initially owed a lot. The Champions League round of 16 often acted too hectic and got involved in the fighting game of VfL. Even young star Jude Bellingham was hardly able to structure BVB’s actions for a long time, but in the 43rd minute the whole class of the English international flashed: With a dream pass he initiated Dortmund’s second good opportunity through Sébastien Haller, but the attacker warped.

Shortly before the half-time whistle, Can made it better – his remarkable goal to make it 1-0 was favored by a mistake by Riemann. A liberating blow from the VfL goalkeeper, who had rushed out of his box, fell far short and landed at Can’s feet. The defender took the ball just behind the halfway line and volleyed it from almost 50 meters into the orphaned Bochum goal.

Shortly after the change of sides, Marius Wolf had to be replaced by the guests, Nico Schlotterbeck came in for him. Since his brother Keven Schlotterbeck was not used at VfL, the direct brother duel was cancelled. Bochum came out of the dressing room with a lot of commitment, Christopher Antwi-Adjei ran twice alone to BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel – but he failed twice at the Swiss (54th and 58th).

Stöger then provided the deserved compensation with the converted penalty. However, Bynoe-Gittens’ handball was controversial, referee Tobias Stieler needed a few minutes in the review area before he finally confirmed his decision.

However, Dortmund were not shocked and hit back just six minutes later. During a counterattack, substitute Reus only had to push the ball over the line from a short distance after a pass from Bellingham. The BVB defense around returnee Mats Hummels, who tied for second place with ex-goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller in his 453rd competitive game for the club, was safer again from then on. Nevertheless, Bochum increased the pressure and pushed for another equalizer in the final phase.

Assistant referee Christian Gittelmann experienced a relatively relaxed evening, who was back in Bochum for the first time after the Gauersheimer was hit by a cup there in mid-March 2022 and the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach was abandoned.

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