VfL Bochum has brought Union Berlin’s delicate upward trend to an abrupt end in the Bundesliga. On Saturday (December 16, 2023), VfL secured a clear 3-0 (1-0) win and thus important points in the relegation battle.
Bochum’s coach Thomas Letsch was really happy. “Last year we were the team that was always running behind”he said after the victory in the sports show discussion: “The starting situation is much more pleasant than last year.” Of course his VfL had won. Takuma Asano (45th + 5th minute) with his sixth goal of the season, Goncalo Paciencia (54th) after a counterattack and Kevin Stöger (78th) with a penalty kick ensured that Bochum’s gap to the relegation places increased to seven points. “The team stepped on the gas from the first minute. That was impressive”Letsch praised.
For Berlin, which recently ended its Bundesliga drought with a 3-1 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach, it remains a very tough struggle in the basement of the table after its sixth away defeat in the league in a row in 16th place. Captain Rani Khedira was frustrated with Union’s performance on the sports show microphone: “If you’re not 100 percent on the pitch, it’s simply difficult to survive in the Bundesliga.”
Bochum’s Takuma Asano with “chocolate doping”
Bochum started boldly, looking for the way forward. After just three minutes, Kevin Stöger had VfL’s lead on his head, but sent a free-standing cross from the right past the goal from five meters. After the fans had ended their boycott after twelve minutes and the game was briefly interrupted after tennis balls and chocolate thalers were thrown from the Union block, the guests had more possession of the ball, but Bochum had the clearer actions on the offensive.
Andreas Kramer, Sportschau, December 16, 2023 6:17 p.m
Asano, who had eaten one of the “Berlin” chocolate pieces during the forced break, initially failed to put the ball in the goal with an overhead kick (18′) or with a shot from half-left (25′). Not much came offensively from Union. Kevin Schlotterbeck deflected a shot from Sheraldo Becker (33′) past the goal with his heel. Shortly before the break, Bochum’s 16th shot on goal gave VfL a deserved lead. Following a corner, the ball bounced to Asano’s feet five meters to the right of the goal and the Japanese sank it to make it 1-0.
Goncalo Paciencia scores after a sparkling Bochum counterattack
At the beginning of the second half, Bochum immediately stepped up. Goalkeeper Manuel Riemann initiated the counterattack with a clever shot towards Asano on the halfway line. The counterattack landed via Christopher Antwi-Adjei to Paciencia, who scored from eleven meters to make it 2-0. Shortly afterwards, the strong Asano (57th) narrowly missed the third goal with a shot from half left.
Union coach Nenad Bjelica then tried to give the game a new direction with a triple substitution (60th). But Bochum was stable and Union remained harmless offensively. The guests only fired two shots on goal throughout the entire game. Bochum, on the other hand, went even further with a Stöger penalty after a foul on Moitz Broschinski and remained unbeaten for the fourth home game in a row.
Union meets Cologne, VfL in Leverkusen
In the last Bundesliga game of the year, VfL will face league leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Wednesday (December 20, 2023, 8:30 p.m.). Union Berlin’s next landmark basement duel against 1. FC Köln is also on Wednesday (6.30 p.m.).