Unbeaten Streak for Bochum Continues in Drab Draw
Soccer fans may have missed a treat in Bochum's visit to Heidenheim, but VfL left the Ostalb Arena with at least a point in their pockets. This draw extended their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to four games. Despite the less-than-spectacular performance, coach Thomas Letsch commended his team for their efforts.
Defensive Blunder Nearly Costs Bochum
The match was far from a one-sided affair. Two minutes from time, however, some frailty in defense nearly cost Bochum dearly. Erhan Masovic's poorly-executed back pass to Manuel Riemann almost let in 1st FC Heidenheim 1846's top scorer, Tim Kleindienst. With just the keeper to beat, Kleindienst lofted the ball over the crossbar with no pressure, preserving Bochum's parity.
Bochum Lacks Finishing Touch
Bochum managed to create only three chances during the game, but their shots from Kevin Stöger, Patrick Osterhage, and Takuma Asano all fell short. The visitors' struggles up front wouldn't have been surprising, considering Asano's international exertions in Saudi Arabia during the week and the long flight to Heidenheim. Nevertheless, his energy and determination on the wet pitch was commendable.
Heidenheim Remains Just Above Bochum
Thanks to this draw, Bochum still lag behind Heidenheim in the Bundesliga table, with the latter maintaining their one-point advantage. Despite the draw, Letsch acknowledged that his team gave everything they had and took a valuable point home with them.
Standings as of February 9, 2025
As of the latest updates, VfL Bochum reside in 18th place with 11 points from 21 matches. They've registered 2 wins, 5 draws, and 14 losses, with a goal difference of -27.[3][5] 1st FC Heidenheim 1846, on the other hand, sit in 16th place with 14 points from 21 matches, having won 4 games, drawn 2, and lost 15, with a -18 goal difference.[3][5] This result saw little change in their respective positions in the table.
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Footnotes
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