Bundesliga promoted VfL Bochum has once again proven its home strength and defeated a supposedly stronger opponent in the Ruhrstadion.
The team headed by coach Thomas Reis won against TSG Hoffenheim 2-0 (0-0), driven by 19,600 loud spectators, and remained clean for the fourth time in their fifth home game.
Soma Novothny, who had been substituted two minutes earlier, took the lead with his first Bundesliga goal in the third appearance (65th), shortly afterwards VfL goalkeeper Manuel Riemann missed a penalty (76th).
With the last action Milos Pantovic (90. + 7) met from his own half into the empty goal.
With the victory in the direct duel, VfL managed to catch up with the middle of the table and, with 13 points, moved up to one point on TSG.
“We can't let Hoffenheim get into play.
Because there they really have quality in their ranks, ”Reis had said before the game. The Bochumers began accordingly bravely and disturbed the guests early on with aggressive pressing.
After a quarter of an hour, the guests took command and narrowly missed the lead twice: First, goal scorer Andrej Kramaric circled the ball from the edge of the penalty area just over the crossbar (16.), then a lob from Ihlas Bebou landed on the goal net from ten meters ( 19.).
Florian Grillitsch's long-range shot missed his target by a few meters (28th).
On the other side, Danny Blum had the greatest chance to date from 16 meters, but narrowly missed (35th).
Shortly afterwards he had to leave the field, having been hit by Gerrit Holtmann.
VAR recognizes Bochum-Tor after all
Shortly after the break, Bochum's Manuel Riemann fished a seamless shot from Grillitsch from over 30 meters with one hand from the right corner (53rd).
After more than an hour, Hoffenheim keeper Oliver Baumann was also able to distinguish himself for the first time.
He cleared a placed free-kick from Eduard Löwen to the side (62nd).
A joker combination ensured the lead: First, Milos Pantovic, who had recently come into play, shot an opponent from the backcourt, a few seconds later he made it better.
His sharp flank found the detached Novothny, who only had to head in at the second post.
Referee Frank Willenborg initially decided offside, but gave the goal after a brief consultation with the VAR.
Then it got strange: Novothny went to the ground after a duel with Grillitsch in the sixteenth, Willenborg initially let go.
But while the ball was still in play, Grillitsch pushed the goal scorer - and there was a penalty.
Cup hero Manuel Riemann, who scored the decisive penalty against FC Augsburg, hurried forward to the cheers of the audience - and shot the ball well over the goal.