VfL Bochun’s victory against FC Bayern Munich is a real surprise. However, other Bundesliga teams have had to learn the hard way that the team is extremely difficult to defeat in their home Ruhr Stadium.
There are those moments in football when the seemingly impossible can be made possible. VfL Bochum experienced such a special and extremely rare moment on Sunday evening (February 18, 2024). The annual relegation candidate, the supposed gray mouse of the Bundesliga, had an extraordinary experience with the spectacular 3-2 win against the actually overpowering FC Bayern.
“It’s always something special to beat Bayern,” said VfL coach Thomas Letsch immediately after the game. The exertion of the previous minutes was still visible on the 55-year-old’s face. It was close, but in the end the Bochum team managed to escape just across the finish line. “Overall, it wasn’t undeserved that we won the game – with a passionate fight and a bit of luck,” said Letsch.
The home strength does it
But was this result really such a surprise? “It wasn’t clear to me that we would win the game. But it was clear to me that we can beat any opponent if we reach our limit, and Bayern can’t,” said Letsch. Apparently the football teacher had an inkling in advance that a surprise could be in the air.
Because it is precisely the strength at home that makes the Ruhr area club special this season. Four wins, six draws and only one defeat are the (points) foundation for the Letsch team. The approach: Courageous pressing, putting the opponent under constant pressure. The Bochum team managed to turn the game around after falling behind. “That’s the magic of the Ruhrstadion. No matter what happens, we can always come back here,” said goalscorer and VfL defender Keven Schlotterbeck.
Great commitment
Bochum won around 50 percent of the duels against Bayern, the basis for a successful football game. Whenever a Munich player had the ball at their feet, two Bochum players were there and tried to defend themselves.
The people of Bochum almost ran for their lives and were not afraid of a duel. The VfL professionals ran over 124 kilometers in this game (Bayern: 118 kilometers), sprinting significantly more than coach Thomas Tuchel’s team (238 to 211 sprints). No path was too far.
Improved defense
The fact that Bochum was able to consolidate after the 7-0 defeat in the first leg in Munich on matchday 5 of this season is primarily due to the increased stability and defensiveness of the defense. Since the first leg debacle, VfL had only conceded 23 goals, fewer than Champions League contenders Leipzig (24).
“Our defensive stability and defensive awareness were very pronounced. We threw ourselves passionately into every ball and tried to win the ball in every duel,” said VfL sports director Marc Lettau.
The fight against relegation continues
On some days, the Letsch team also manages to develop a lightness on offense. It was the third time that Bochum were able to score three goals in a home game (13th matchday: 3-1 against Wolfsburg; 15th matchday: 3-0 against Union Berlin). “We have a team with a great mentality,” said Letsch. “That’s what we need, that’s what we have in every training session.”
That pays off. In the second half of the season, VfL is in sixth place, which is an unusually strong performance for the Bochum team. With this victory, the team has come closer to its season goal of staying in the league. “We have taken a big step, but we have to remain realistic. We have a long fight against relegation ahead of us. We can now celebrate something for a day or two. Then we will focus fully on the next game, that will also be very important.” said VfL defender Bernardo.
With this commitment and the necessary calm and composure, the Bochum team can now tackle the upcoming tasks.