Who played against whom and how?
Which game couldn’t you miss?
Bochum against Leverkusenwe announced it. But we didn’t have the All Saints’ Fair in Soest on our list either. Bochum’s coach Dieter Hecking really wanted to go to what is, after all, the largest old town fair in Europe at the weekend. But that would only work if he could also give his team time off, which in turn can only be achieved if bottom-placed Bochum really pulls something together against the champions. And lo and behold, what won’t a team do for a new coach? In the 89th minute, Kōji Miyoshi pushed a ball into the net from the most acute angle to make it 1-1, also because Leverkusen’s goalkeeper Lukáš Hrádecký lost his bearings and opened the short corner as if it came straight from the Wilden Maus. For Bochum this is more than just a point in the relegation battle, the game “can be a turning point” (Hecking).
Leverkusen, on the other hand, drops points again and gives up the lead again. The self-image of last season is gone, as is the invincibility. A massive defeat like the 4-0 loss in Liverpool, where everyone saw how much of a loss it was to an absolute top team Europe’s is missing, it doesn’t exactly increase your confidence in yourself. Maybe all together at the fair? But you have to be careful there too: There was a breakdown at the fair in Soest on Sunday. A visitor was slightly injured when a ghost train gondola crashed into one of the scary figures at high speed.
Which game could you have missed with a clear conscience?
Union Berlin against SC Freiburg, a 0-0 draw on a frosty Friday evening in November. This is what happens when the two teams that allow the fewest chances play against each other – and hardly score any goals themselves. Both teams were careful not to make any mistakes. A game with less risk than a savings account. Now each team is free to choose its means; From two teams that are in fifth and sixth place, it could be a little more. Or Bundesliga?
Who was in the spotlight?
Emre Can. The BVB captain had a short day at work. After just 27 minutes, he was sent off with a red card after he hit his opponent Lee Jae-sung’s ankle with an open sole. In retrospect, the Dortmund team agreed in the analysis that the reason why BVB lost the next away game was 1:3 in the end in Mainz. An understandable explanation, almost 70 minutes with one man less is a plank. But an explanation with which the Dortmund team could make things too easy for themselves. On the one hand, there have been teams that have won ten games or at least not lost, and on the other hand, Mainz were the more dangerous team in the first 27 minutes. It also didn’t help that the Dortmund squad was so depleted in defense that Felix Nmecha had to move into central defense for Can. With his two mistakes in the first two goals he conceded, he at least ensured that he won’t have to play this position again any time soon. Nmecha was saved after an hour by U23 defender Yannick Lührs. Defense also needs to be learned.
Bochum against Leverkusenwe announced it. But we didn’t have the All Saints’ Fair in Soest on our list either. Bochum’s coach Dieter Hecking really wanted to go to what is, after all, the largest old town fair in Europe at the weekend. But that would only work if he could also give his team time off, which in turn can only be achieved if bottom-placed Bochum really pulls something together against the champions. And lo and behold, what won’t a team do for a new coach? In the 89th minute, Kōji Miyoshi pushed a ball into the net from the most acute angle to make it 1-1, also because Leverkusen’s goalkeeper Lukáš Hrádecký lost his bearings and opened the short corner as if it came straight from the Wilden Maus. For Bochum this is more than just a point in the relegation battle, the game “can be a turning point” (Hecking).
