Borussia Dortmund will aim to return to winning ways when they welcome VfL Bochum to Signal Iduna Park on Friday.
The 2024/25 Bundesliga season resumes this week with Matchday 5, with the latest round of fixtures kicking off with the so-called ‘Little Rivierderby’. Borussia Dortmund vs VfL Bochum will get us underway on Friday at Signal Iduna Park, with both teams eager to clinch three points.
Borussia Dortmund began the 2024/25 season in style, cruising to a 4-1 win over FC Phonix Lubeck in the DFB Pokal first round. The Black and Yellows continued their unbeaten start to the season in the subsequent four games, with only Werder Bremen stopping them from making it a perfect getaway. However, the positive feeling abruptly ended last weekend as VfB Stuttgart hammered Nuri Sahin’s men 5-1 at home.
As for VfL Bochum, they are still looking for their first win of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season. The Undescendables were slow off the blocks after bowing out of the DFB Pokal in the first round against SSV Jahn Regensburg. However, Peter Zeidler’s men finally ended their losing start to the new campaign by holding Holstein Kiel to a 2-2 draw, with that point leaving them 16th in the Bundesliga standings.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Borussia Dortmund clinch a hard-fought 3-1 win vs VfL Bochum, with Niclas Fullkrug scoring a match-winning hat-trick. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Borussia Dortmund
Nuri Sahin does not have any new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Borussia Dortmund manager will be bereft of the services of two first-team players vs VfL Bochum.
Felix Nmecha (hip) and Giovanni Reyna (groin) remain on the sidelines and will likely return to action after the international break. Ramy Bensebaini and Julian Ryerson have been struggling to overcome illness but should be available to take on VfL Bochum.
Gregor Kobel is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Borussia Dortmund lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs VfL Bochum. The backline should feature Yan Couto, Waldemar Anton, Niklas Sule, and Nico Schlotterbeck.
As for the midfield unit, Marcel Sabitzer and captain Emre Can should pair up in the double pivot. Julian Brandt will likely reprise the No. 10 role, with Karim Adeyemi and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens starting on the flanks. Finally, Serhou Guirassy should spearhead the Borussia Dortmund attack against Bochum this Friday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Couto, Anton, Sule, Schlotterbeck; Sabitzer, Can; Adeyemi, Brandt, Bynoe-Gittens; Guirassy
VfL Bochum
Like his counterpart in the Borussia Dortmund dugout, Peter Zeidler does not have any pressing issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Signal Iduna Park. The VfL Bochum manager will be without two first-team players on Friday.
Bernardo (knee) and Koji Miyoshi (muscle injury) remain on the sidelines with their issues and will not be available to take on Borussia Dortmund. Ivan Ordets has stepped up after recovering from a shoulder injury, with Zeidler hoping to have the Ukrainian international available for Friday’s match at Signal Iduna Park.
Patrick Dewes should take his place between the sticks, with VfL Bochum lining up in a 4-3-1-2 formation in front of him vs Borussia Dortmund. The backline should feature Jakov Medic, Tim Oermann, Maximilian Wittek, and former Dortmund man Felix Passlack.
As for the midfield unit, Ibrahima Sissoko will sit at the base, looking to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Dani de With and Matus Bero should line up alongside him in the central areas, aiming to provide the forward thrust to the attack. Finally, Myron Boadu and Philipp Hofmann will be the two strikers, with Lukas Daschner reprising the No. 10 role.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Drewes; Passlack, Medic, Oermann, Wittek; De Wit, Sissoko, Bero; Daschner; Boadu, Hofmann
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund and VfL Bochum have locked horns 84 times in all competitions. The Black and Yellows have the superior head-to-head record with 38 wins (D26 L20). Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten in their last five games vs VfL Bochum (W2 D3).
- However, VfL Bochum have won away at Borussia Dortmund six times in the top flight, more than against any other club. In addition, the Undescendables have only amassed more away points (26) at Borussia Monchengladbach than at Signal Iduna Park (25).
- Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten in their last 37 Bundesliga home games on a Friday, dating back to a 1-0 loss to Schalke on 30 January 2004. In addition, they are unbeaten in their last five home games in the Bundesliga, recording four consecutive wins.
- Only once this millennium have Borussia Dortmund conceded more than this term’s seven goals after their opening four matches of a Bundesliga campaign.
- VfL Bochum are currently on a Bundesliga-high 20 matches without a clean sheet.
Player to Watch
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens
After making an impression with game-changing displays off the bench, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens should have the opportunity to deliver the goods from the get-go. The Englishman has four goals and one assist in only 240 minutes of game time thus far this term.
So, it is hardly surprising that Premier League bigwigs want to sign him, although he remains committed to Borussia Dortmund. Bynoe-Gittens will hope to prove his credentials by helping the home side return to winning ways when they host VfL Bochum this Friday.
Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 2-1 VfL Bochum
Last week’s defeat to VfB Stuttgart would have left Borussia Dortmund fans stunned. While the Swabians are a top-notch team in their own right, beating Die Schwarzgelben 5-1 is a statement result for both sides. However, the Black and Yellows meet a team that has yet to clinch a win thus far this term.
With VfL Bochum struggling to find the back of the net, let alone record victories, Borussia Dortmund should have a field day vs the Blues this Friday. So, despite Bochum’s impressive record at Signal Iduna Park, the home side should have the quality to return to winning ways, albeit by a narrow 2-1 scoreline.
