2. Bundesliga preview: VfL Bochum vs. Eintracht Braunschweig
· Yahoo Sports
With the bottom half of the 2. Bundesliga table as congested as ever, Sunday’s clash in Bochum could prove pivotal in shaping the relegation battle. The hosts, who had looked relatively comfortable not long ago, are now glancing nervously over their shoulders once again.
Since the arrival of Uwe Rösler, Bochum initially appeared to have steadied the ship and distanced themselves from danger. However, a concerning run of just one win in their last eight league matches has dragged them back into the mire. Despite sitting 10th, they are only four points clear of the bottom three - a margin that offers little security at this stage of the season.
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Their vulnerabilities were laid bare in a heavy 4-1 defeat away to fellow strugglers Magdeburg last time out. Goals from Lubambo Musonda and Barış Atik put the hosts firmly in control by half-time, and although Philipp Hofmann briefly reduced the deficit after the break, a Mateusz Żukowski brace sealed a comprehensive victory and cut Bochum’s cushion to just three points.
Rösler has called on his side to translate their quality into consistent performances:
“The team knows what's at stake. We have the quality, but we also have to bring it to the pitch. We're working on this balance between offense and defense. We know we can score goals at any time. But we have challenges we have to overcome to ultimately stay in the league.”
Eintracht Braunschweig arrive in an even more precarious position. Sitting 15th and just one point above the automatic relegation places ahead of matchday 29, Die Löwen remain firmly embroiled in the survival fight.
The appointment of Lars Kornetka, following Heiner Backhaus’ dismissal, has yet to spark a significant upturn in results. Braunschweig have managed just one win from their new coach’s first four matches.
In their most recent outing, they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Nürnberg. Rabby Nzingoula handed the visitors the lead before the break, and although Braunschweig saw a goal from Mehmet Aydin ruled out, they showed resilience to respond - Jovan Mijatović equalising on the hour mark to salvage a point.
Kornetka is under no illusions about the magnitude of the task ahead:
“In my opinion, this game will be like the last three we've experienced. There's a lot at stake for all of us. Our situation hasn't changed; we know we have to and want to keep giving it our all to get points. That's how we've prepared for this match.”
Bochum claimed a 2-0 win in the reverse fixture back in November, courtesy of goals from Cajetan Lenz and Francis Onyeka, and they will be confident of repeating that success. Braunschweig have not won in Bochum since 2016, while their recent away form offers little encouragement - just one win from their last nine matches on the road, including six defeats.
Encouragingly for the hosts, Bochum have been relatively strong at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion, losing just once in their last eight home fixtures.
Team news
VfL Bochum: Mikkel Rakneberg and Romario Rösch remain sidelined. Kevin Vogt has returned to training but is not yet match-fit.
Eintracht Braunschweig: Fredrik Jäkel and Sidi Sané are both expected to miss out.
Predicted lineups
VfL Bochum (4-2-3-1): Horn (GK) - Olsen, Loosli, Strompf, Wittek - Bero, Pannewig - Miyoshi, Onyeka, Holtmann - Hofmann
Eintracht Braunschweig (4-2-3-1): Hoffmann (GK) - Aydin, Hoti, Ehlers, Di Michele Sanchez - Flick, Marie - Opoku, Heußer, Gomez - Mijatović