No points on Wednesday evening in Leverkusen. The eleven of Thomas Letsch, head coach of VfL Bochum 1848, was defeated by Bayer 04 with 0:2. The chances were there for blue and white, but in the end it was not enough to take the next points.
First English week of the calendar year 2023. Only four days after the important 3:1 home win over Hertha BSC, it was time for VfL Bochum 1848 to travel. The Blue-Whites were guests at Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Wednesday evening. It was the 17th Bundesliga matchday, the last game of the first half of the season. Compared to the win against the Berliners, VfL head coach Thomas Letsch changed personnel three times. Vasileios Lampropoulos moved into the back four for the ill Ivan Ordets. Erhan Masovic and Takuma Asano also came into the starting lineup for Philipp Förster and Simon Zoller.
Here's how the game went:
1': The ball is rolling. Let's go, VfL!
1': Not even ten seconds played, directly the first chance for us! Hofmann takes heart and shoots, misses. But that's exactly what VfL head coach Thomas Letsch wants to see: Finishes.
2': Antwi-Adjei goes one-on-one on his left wing, gets caught. But it's exactly this courage to go on the offensive that's important.
3': Next finish! Antwi-Adjei after preparation by Asano. A Leverkusen player blocks.
5': For the first time, Leverkusen comes through, and it's immediately dangerous. Schlotterbeck probably hits Diaby on the foot in the penalty area. Referee Timo Gerach initially allows play to continue.
7': Video assistant Günter Perl intervenes. Now Gerach decides to give the home team a penalty kick.
8': Leverkusen takes the lead. Tapsoba converts safely for 1:0 for Bayer 04.
9': In the counterattack almost the equalizer! Asano takes off, shoots at Hincapie, who almost sinks the ball into his own goal. Too bad, keep it up!
13': Lucky for us. Diaby scores the supposed 2:0, but was offside before.
17': It's important that we continue to play undeterred and that the deficit doesn't seem to throw us off course.
19': What must be clearly stated, however, is that as soon as Leverkusen has some space, it is almost impossible to defend. Must do everything to give them as little space as possible.
23': Good combination via Soares, Stöger and Antwi-Adjei. Unfortunately, the pass into the penalty area to Hofmann doesn't arrive. But there is a throw-in for us.
24': And the next scoring chance for us! Schlotterbeck takes a throw-in, but unfortunately over. That would have been it, with the second goal in the second match.
27': We are there! Asano brings in the next cross, which is blocked for a corner. Already the third corner kick for VfL.
33': We have Leverkusen well under control at the moment. Andrich tries it from the second row, anything but dangerous.
37': Distance shot Amiri. It's better, but Riemann doesn't have to intervene.
38': Huge opportunity for the blue and white team. Antwi-Adjei looks for Asano in the middle. Our Japanese player just misses, otherwise he could have pushed in the ball.
42': Three minutes left until the break. An even game at the moment.
45': Two minutes added on top.
45'+1: Yellow card for Andrich. Foul and whining is clearly yellow.
Half-time: Half-time in Leverkusen. The home side leads 1-0 through Tapsoba's penalty kick. VfL had its chances, but in front of the opponent's goal it is still not compelling enough. Defensively, we are stable and allow as little as possible. There's still something in it for sure!
46': Goes on. Leverkusen makes one substitution, Adli replaces Hudson-Odoi. The Blue and Whites remain unchanged for the time being.
46': Promptly the first scoring chance for VfL! Great cross from Stöger, Antwi-Adjei heads just over Hradecky's box.
47': On the counterattack, Wirtz tests our goalkeeper. Riemann has the ball safely.
51': Yellow card for Soares after a foul on Diaby. Is his fourth, so no ban yet.
53': There's no way... Leverkusen strikes ice-cold. Hlozek makes it 2:0 for Bayer 04.
57': Stögi is beaten by two Leverkusen players. Unfortunately, his finish is not precise enough.
61': Masovic also receives a yellow card.
62': Hofmann gets the free kick from Hlozek full in the face. Painful, the VfL goal scorer has to shake briefly.
67': It's getting heated. Leverkusen wants a free kick, but doesn't get it. Bayer coach Xabi Alonso gets too excited and is cautioned.
69': That must be the goal... Antwi-Adjei lurks on the long ball and appears free in front of Hradecky. But he doesn't hit the ball... annoying.
70': Thomas Letsch reacts three times. Osei-Tutu, Ganvoula and Förster should provide new offensive power. Janko, Antwi-Adjei and Asano go down.
71': Osei-Tutu is in for 30 seconds and gets a direct yellow. Tactical foul.
73': Still 20 minutes to play. Everything is still possible. A quick goal would be great.
74': Ganvoula is beaten by two Leverkusen players and enters the sixteenth. He passes the third Bayer defender
76': Superb lob from Stögi into the sixteenth. Toto can't get there... there was more in it too!
81': Now Lampropoulos also sees the yellow card.
83': We change again. Full offensive. Holtmann and Kunde enter the field, Soares and Losilla go down.
83': Sharp kicked free kick from Stögi, Leverkusen gets that defended away.
87': There must be plenty of stoppage time in any case.
89': Another great chance for Bochum! Stöger hits it free standing in the sixteen, centimeters off the mark!
90'+3: Adli has the third goal on his foot, but fails from an acute angle to Riemann. Strongly held, even if it was probably the head!
Full-time: Unfortunately, nothing to get at Bayer. Little time to take a deep breath, the next game is already waiting in three days. Then we play host to 1. FSV Mainz 05 (Saturday, January 28, 15:30).
VfL Bochum 1848: Riemann - Soares (83. Holtmann), Lampropoulos, Schlotterbeck, Janko (70. Osei-Tutu), Masovic, Stöger, Losilla (83. Kunde), Antwi-Adjei (70. Ganvoula), Hofmann, Asano (70. Förster)
Goals: 1:0 Tapsoba (8., FE.), 2:0 Hlozek (53.)
