2. Bundesliga Topspiel preview: Bochum play host to Fortuna Düsseldorf

Recently relegated Bochum have their backs against the wall once more after a poor start to life back in the 2. Bundesliga. With just one win from six matches, they sit 17th in the table. The slow start cost head coach Dieter Hecking and sporting director Dirk Dufner their jobs ahead of last weekend’s trip to Nürnberg.

Up stepped David Siebers – previously with the club’s U19’s team – to take the reins and try to turn fortunes around. Unfortunately it felt like groundhog day for Bochum, as they succumbed to another defeat thanks to a 92nd minute goal from Adriano Grimaldi, allowing fellow strugglers Nürnberg to leapfrog them in the standings. 

Speaking ahead of the game on Saturday evening, defender Erhan Masovic has called for unity in the face of adversity: “It’s a difficult time for us right now, but we’ll get through it together. With solidarity and hard work, we’ll do everything we can to get three points and give something back to our fans once again.” 

Team news: 
There are no fresh injury concerns, however Moritz-Broni Kwarteng, Koji Miyoshi and Ibrahima Sissoko are all unavailable for Bochum. 

Like their hosts, F95 have fallen well short of expectations. After finishing sixth last season and targeting promotion, Daniel Thioune’s side have lacked consistency. A run of seven points from three matches suggested momentum was building, but a heavy 3-0 home defeat to Darmstadt last time out quickly punctured that optimism.

Speaking after the game, Thioune acknowledged his team’s need for more attacking impetus: “We repeatedly failed to bring the energy we needed to win the game. We couldn’t find the offensive flow to hurt our opponents. And when you’re not playing offensively, you have to make sure you at least keep your head above water – we didn’t manage that either.”

This fixture carries added weight for Fortuna, marking their first meeting with Bochum since the promotion/relegation playoff collapse in May, when they surrendered a 3-0 first-leg lead to remain in the second tier. With that painful memory still in mind, Thioune cancelled the players’ day off this week to sharpen preparations for what he views as a must-win encounter.