A Bitter Farewell: Bochum and Kiel bid goodbye to Bundesliga after dismal performances
Downfall of VfL Bochum and Holstein Kiel marked by sorrowful relegation.
Saying goodbye to the Bundesliga, Holstein Kiel and VfL Bochum end their one-season stints in the top flight with relegation. The Schleswig-Holstein team and the Ruhrpott club failed to save themselves after disappointing defeats on the final matchday.
VfL Bochum - 1. FSV Mainz 05 1:4 (0:1)
Bochum's seventh relegation from the Bundesliga was sealed early. Dieter Hecking's team lost their home game 1:4 to FSV Mainz 05 and couldn't catch the desired relegation spot with 22 points heading into the final matchday. The coach had already confirmed their 2. Bundesliga return the previous week.
Nadiem Amiri (45.+3), Phillipp Mwene (53'), Jonathan Burkardt (73'), and Paul Nebel (90.+3) scored for Mainz, who continue to fight for Europe after seven games without a win. Gerrit Holtmann's goal (84.) for Bochum couldn't change the outcome.
Despite strong fan support, Bochum managed little offensive action, with the guests dominating play. Stefan Bell (23.) almost scored an own goal for the hosts, who struggled to keep a clean sheet until the break. A rare highlight came in first-half stoppage time when Amiri curled the ball magnificently into the net from over 20 meters.
Hecking reacted with three substitutions at halftime, and the second half started at a frenetic pace. VfL substitute Holtmann (47') tested Lasse Rieß, but Mwene (53') scored unchallenged after a Mainz throw-in, prompting VfL fans to sing about the 2. Bundesliga after less than an hour.
Holstein Kiel - SC Freiburg 1:2 (1:1)
Tears in the north: Holstein Kiel's Bundesliga adventure is over after just one year – SC Freiburg, on the other hand, dreams of a Champions League sensation. While the northern Germans must accept their fate after a 1:2 (1:1) defeat to the Breisgauer, Schuster's surprise team of the season is close to qualifying for the Champions League for the first time.
Johan Manzambi (45.+2) and Lukas Höler (58') secured the 16th league win for SCF, who could soon face Barcelona or Paris. Kiel can still enjoy some footballing heights in their final game against Borussia Dortmund before returning to the 2. Bundesliga next season.
Kiel demonstrated impressive offensive prowess in the first half, forcing Breisgauer coach Schuster to demand full focus from his team. The guests started decisively and almost took the lead after just three minutes through Ritsu Doan. Kiel then got more physical and self-confident, putting pressure on the top team. Steven Skrzybski (9') after a rebound and Alexander Bernhardsson put SCF goalkeeper Noah Atubolu under pressure (22').
The lead fell exactly 17 seconds later after a shot from Matthias Ginter hit the bar. The guests then put intense pressure on, coming close with a shot from Vincenzo Grifo (28') hitting the post and a header from Junior Adamu (36'), before Manzambi scored.
Schuster's efficient team dominated the second half, while Kiel fought valiantly but to no avail.
1. FC Union Berlin - 1. FC Heidenheim 0:3 (0:1)
- FC Heidenheim avoided direct relegation and can now hope for a rescue without a playoff. With a convincing 3:0 (1:0) win over Union Berlin, the well-oiled team of coach Frank Schmidt defended 16th place ahead of Holstein Kiel and VfL Bochum, securing at least the playoffs.
Adrian Beck (12', 73'), and Jan Schöppner (56') scored the goals for the Heidenheimers. The gap to the relegation zone, currently occupied by FC St. Pauli, is now two points, although the Hamburgers still have a chance to secure their top-flight status on Sunday at 5:30 PM (DAZN and live ticker at ntv.de) against Eintracht Frankfurt. Above them, TSG Hoffenheim, not yet safe, has three more points and a better goal difference than Heidenheim. Union's undefeated streak, which lasted eight games, came to an end.
Both teams felt each other out for a long time, with no dangerous situations until the 12th minute. Then Schöppner was able to get the ball in front of the Berlin goal, where Marvin Pieringer laid it off for Beck to put Heidenheim ahead early on. The capital city team then lacked ideas and barely made it into the opposing half for the rest of the game.
Werder Bremen - Rasenballsport Leipzig 0:0
Leipzig missed the chance to qualify for the Champions League prematurely. The Saxons failed to secure a satisfying win, drawing 0:0 against Werder Bremen in the penultimate Bundesliga matchday, and now face elimination from the fight for another European competition participation. Four months after the appointment of Jürgen Klopp as RB's football chief, Leipzig not only stands to miss the Champions League for the first time in seven years but could also face its first season without European competition since the 2016/17 Bundesliga debut season. Leipzig fell to seventh place.
On the other hand, Werder Bremen's last faint hopes of European competition also disappeared. The sixth place, which would qualify for the Conference League, is practically out of reach given the three-point and several-goal deficit. Bremen started strongly and had their first big chance after just 180 seconds, but Marvin Ducksch's shot from six meters was too imprecise, and he found his match in Peter Gulacsi, who was returning to the RB goal after a mandatory break due to a concussion.
Bremen dominated the game in the first half-hour, their remaining hope of Europe seemingly giving them wings. The hosts played dominantly and bravely, and they should have taken the lead in the 38th minute. After a fine pass from Ducksch, Romano Schmid suddenly found himself one-on-one with Gulacsi but failed to beat the Hungarian.
Leipzig, meanwhile, appeared uninspired and erratic in the first half, often getting bogged down in individual actions in the opposing half. They failed to create a genuine scoring chance in the entire first half.
After the break, Bremen started stronger and had three excellent chances in quick succession. Felix Agu blasted the ball over the goal from close range after 23 seconds, then a shot from Agu from seven meters was blocked at the last moment just 90 seconds later. Gulacsi then made a fantastic save against Oliver Burke, who had shot from close range just 30 seconds after that.
The game then developed into an open exchange in front of the 41,000 fans at the Weserstadion, with Leipzig also creating chances. A curling shot from Xavi from around 20 meters hit the post (68th minute), and two minutes later, Werder keeper Michael Zetterer cleared a shot from the Dutchman from the goal line. On the other side, Bremen kept hitting Gulacsi's wall.
Tips for the final matchday:- Freiburg vs Kiel: Kiel needs to win to secure a chance at staying in the Bundesliga. Freiburg could potentially seal a Champions League berth with a victory.- Heidenheim vs Union Berlin: Heidenheim needs to win to secure their place in the Bundesliga. Union Berlin, on the other hand, will be hoping to secure a positive result to boost their chances of a top-half finish.- Mainz vs Bochum: Bochum has been relegated, but Mainz still has a chance at securing European football. Victory would take them a step closer to achieving that goal.
[1] Source: ntv.de, tsi/sid
- VfL Bochum
- Holstein Kiel
- 1.FC Heidenheim
- Bundesliga
- Relegation battle
- Werder Bremen
- RB Leipzig
- 1.FC Union Berlin
- SC Freiburg
- 1.FSV Mainz 05
The Commission has also been consulted on the draft decision on the application of the rules on the protection of the environment in connection with the relegation of Holstein Kiel and VfL Bochum from the Bundesliga. In Leipzig, fans of RB Leipzig, despite their team's premature elimination from the Champions League race, cheered Noah Atubolu's performance in SC Freiburg's 1:2 win over Holstein Kiel. Meanwhile, Bochumers were left to reminisce about their supposed football glory days as they bid farewell to the Bundesliga, with sports enthusiasts in Bochum and nearby cities hoping for a successful return in the sports of football for both Holstein Kiel and VfL Bochum in the 2. Bundesliga next season. Amidst the relegation battle, 1. FC Heidenheim, who managed to avoid direct relegation, remains hopeful for a rescue without a playoff, with their fans eagerly awaiting the team's final match against 1. FC Union Berlin.
