Magic foot Milos Pantovic shot VfL Bochum into the quarterfinals of the DFB Cup for the first time in six years with a double strike.
Three days after the 0-1 draw in the Bundesliga game at FSV Mainz 05, coach Thomas Reis’ team took revenge with a 3-1 (0-1) win at their home stadium on Castroper Strasse with Rheinhessen.
Karim Onisiwo (36th) scored the lead for the guests thanks to the kind help of VfL keeper Manuel Riemann, who had shot Bochum into the round of 16 with a penalty.
Then Pantovic turned the game around with a penalty kick (56′) and an artful lob (59′). Eduard Löwen (80th) increased in the closing stages. Bochum had eliminated Mainz last year, in the second round of the cup on penalties.
“The cup is an important competition. We want to show the greed and aggressiveness that has brought us so far,” Reis said before the game. On Tuesday evening, the 48-year-old was able to fall back on Danilo Soares and ex-Mainzer Gerrit Holtmann, both of whom started from the start. In addition, newcomer Jürgen Locadia made a striking starting eleven debut.
Svensson was also highly motivated before the quick reunion. “The cup is a great competition. You can go far with just a few games,” said the Dane, who had to do without Jeremiah St. Juste, who had given Mainz the decisive goal on Saturday.
Pantovic turns up after the change of sides
In a confused early phase, Bochum had their first chance early on. Holtmann’s full-span shot was unsteadily blocked by Robin Zentner, Locadia reacted too slowly for the follow-up shot. In front of 750 VfL supporters, some of whom were loud, many fouls and small discussions initially determined the further course of the game.
Bochum wanted more from the game and also had visual advantages. At first, Mainz’s attempts to attack remained harmless. Onisiwo’s first degree did not embarrass Riemann. Likewise Jae-Sung Lee’s long-range shot. It took a blunder from Riemann, who let the shot from U21 national player Anton Stach deflect forward, Onisiwo dusted off powerfully.
After the change of sides, Bochum acted much more aggressively and hungrily. First Locadia narrowly failed, then Pantovic converted ice-cold from the point. Leandro Barreiro had previously pulled Bochum’s Elvis Rexhbecaj on the jersey. Moments later, Pantovic refined a finely played counterattack and didn’t give the hurrying hundredweight the slightest chance with a technically adept lob. Then the substitute lion struck.
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