Title-chasing Borussia Dortmund need a win over Bochum on Friday evening at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion to ensure they stay in the top spot in the Bundesliga.
We have a lopsided contest to kick things off for the fresh Bundesliga round. But it could prove to be equally crucial in context to title-race proceedings. The two sides are facing very different battles at opposite ends of the table, with Bochum just two points above the relegation playoff position and Dortmund at the top, a point ahead of champions Bayern Munich.
Bochum, for one, will be aiming to breathe new life into their survival bid when they host the league leaders in their next Bundesliga encounter. A terrible run of four league games without a win has somewhat punctured their survival quest. And after accumulating just two points from the available 12, any more slip-ups could see them drop to the relegation zone.
They are coming off the back of a 5-1 away defeat to Wolfsburg and cannot even return to home comforts given their equally woeful recent record in front of their own supporters. Dortmund, meanwhile, reinforced their reputation as genuine title contenders at the weekend when they put four goals without reply past a strong Eintracht Frankfurt outfit.
With Bayern losing at Mainz, Dortmund now find themselves one point clear of the Bavarians with five games left in the Bundesliga this season, and they can further consolidate their position with a win at relegation-candidates Bochum on Friday. And if their key star continues to perform at a high level, BVB will certainly fancy their chances of winning the Bundesliga title for the first time in 11 years.
Bochum managed to beat Dortmund 4-3 when these two sides met each other in the corresponding fixture last year. But the visitors come with confidence having beaten Bochum two times already this season, and they will be hoping for more of the same here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News and Tactics
VfL Bochum
Time for some more Taku content! 🤩@AsaTaku29 #meinVfL #BOCBVB pic.twitter.com/wmzqPqvM5d
— VfL Bochum 1848 (@VfLBochum1848EN) April 25, 2023
Anthony Losilla is back from suspension, while Keven Schlotterbeck has been out with a knee injury but has returned to training and could even make the matchday squad. Philipp Forster is the only other absentee, as the number 10 has to sit out due to his achilles tendon problems. Otherwise, Thomas Letsch has no fresh injury concerns to deal with.
Manuel Riemann will continue in between the sticks for the hosts, who look set to line up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him. Ivan Ordets and Erhan Masovic will pair up at the heart of the Bochum defence, flanked by full-backs Danilo Soares and Cristian Gamboa.
Skipper Anthony Losilla will sit at the base of the three-man midfield unit, looking to shield the backline and keep things tight in the middle of the park. Pierre Kunde and Patrick Osterhage will join Losilla in the centre of the pitch.
And the duo will be tasked with providing the necessary legwork to stop Jude Bellingham & co. from running the show and progress the ball forward quickly on transitions.
Takuma Asano will be an automatic starter on the right flank, and he will join Philipp Hofmann and Chritsopher Antwi-Adjei in the attacking third. Hofmann, who has eight Bundesliga goals to his name, will spearhead the attack, while Antwi-Adjei and Asano will try to utilise their pace and quickness on the flanks.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Riemann; Gamboa, Masovic, Ordets, Soares; Kunde, Losilla, Osterhage; Asano, Hofmann, Antwi-Adjei
Borussia Dortmund
Edin Terzic will have to deal with more injury woes heading into the last five games of the Bundesliga season as Germany international Nico Schlotterbeck will possibly be sidelined for an extended period. The former Freiburg defender worsened a tendon injury he initially picked up when Dortmund faced Bayern Munich at the start of April.
This will be a bitter blow for Dortmund, given their issues at the back. Schlotter
beck returned to the fold in their 4-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. But the German international had to be replaced by compatriot Niklas Sule before half-time and seemed frustrated.
To make matters worse, Sule was himself dealing with muscular issues and will require a late assessment before this game. Thomas Meunier is sidelined with a muscle problem. Anthony Modeste twisted his knee in training and will be another doubt.
🧊🧊 x #WallpaperWednesday pic.twitter.com/3sPUONHqxa
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) April 26, 2023
While Dortmund have taken the pole position in the title race, BVB boss Edin Terzic has insisted that they should not get ahead of themselves and still have room for improvement as their form has been inconsistent at best in recent weeks.
The visitors will continue with their usual 4-3-3 formation with Gregor Kobel in goal. Julian Ryerson and Raphael Guerreiro will line up as the full-backs here, and they will look to provide width and creativity from wide as they look to break down a low-block defence.
Sule may recover in time to partner Mats Hummels at the heart of the defence, with the latter scoring last time out, but should Sule fail to make the starting lin\e-up, defensive midfielder Emre Can will have to drop into the back four, with Salih Ozcan taking the ex-Liverpool man’s place in the middle of the park.
Jude Bellingham and Julian Brandt are shoo-in starters in the two number 8 slots in midfield. Karim Adeyemi and Donyell Malen are in a red-hot run of form, which makes them a mainstay in the starting XI, with Sebastien Haller set to lead the line for Die Borussen once again.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kobel; Ryerson, Sule, Hummels, Guerreiro; Bellingham, Can, Brandt; Malen, Haller, Adeyemi
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund are winless in their last five away games.
- The visitors have conceded two or more in each of the last five away matches.
- Bochum have lost four of their last five home league games.
- Dortmund are at the top of the Bundesliga table after 29 matchdays for the first time since 2011/12 when they went on to win the title. Make no mistake, the BVB faithful still remember that triumph fondly.
- Dortmund have scored at least two goals in their last seven Bundesliga matches.
Player to watch
Donyell Malen
Donyell Malen’s excellent run of form has played a crucial role in his side’s renewed title hopes. Having endured a largely difficult first 18 months in Germany since arriving at PSV Eindhoven in 2021, Malen has hit his stride at exactly the right time, as he has now netted six times in his last five games and provided three assists. He could be the man to fire Dortmund to the title.
Prediction
VfL Bochum 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
Bochum are the underdogs coming into this game, but their attack has done reasonably well lately and will be the biggest asset they carry into this game. Dortmund have the same weapon, which they showcased against Frankfurt.
While we’re predicting Dortmund to take one huge step towards the Bundesliga title with another three points, they may have their work cut out here given they have been poor on their travels of late, and facing relegation-battling neighbours in Bochum is never an easy task.
