Julian Schuster had praised his team’s character before the match, and they exhibited this yet again at home to Bochum. The head coach made one change from the game in Munich last time out. As Schuster had confirmed he would ahead of the match, Noah Atubolu returned in goal. There were no outfield changes, and Ritsu Doan, Max Rosenfelder, Merlin Röhl, Junior Adamu and Philipp Lienhart all returned from international duty fit and ready for Matchday 3.

It was an even start to the game with action at both ends but few goalscoring chances in the first ten minutes, as well as a good helping of the physicality that Schuster had mentioned. VfL, who sit bottom of the league and are yet to pick up a point so far this season, looked to get stuck in. SCF piled on the pressure going forward though and had the first big chance of the game when Doan arrived unchallenged to get on the end of a Vincenzo Grifo corner, but it went just wide of the Bochum goal (13’).

Chances galore for SCF

SC by this point had the upper hand and threatened repeatedly down the left, creating a trio of chances in the 22nd minute. Röhl got the better of an opponent before being denied by VfL goalkeeper Patrick Drewes. Doan then had an effort from range blocked, before Lukas Kübler also stung the gloves of Drewes. SCF will have felt they deserved to be ahead by this point, but Adamu failed to convert with a strike from the edge of the penalty area after getting on the end of a long ball forward (26’).

Freiburg were on top and played some good stuff, but still couldn’t find the net. The coaching staff made a few tactical changes while Röhl received on-field treatment for an ankle problem. The Germany U21 international was unable to continue, but, shortly after, SC created a good chance while temporarily down to ten men. Patrick Osterhage played the ball through to Grifo, whose strike from around 13 yards out was blocked by a Bochum leg (37’). Doan was the next to have a go, but his shot was saved well by Drewes (42’).

Bochum make it difficult

Still, SCF were unable to turn chances into goals, and Bochum converted one of theirs to take the lead. In the 45th minute, Myron Boadu got himself on the end of a low ball-in from the left to net the opening goal for the visitors. Out of nothing, SC were punished for their wastefulness in front of goal. VfL suddenly had their opponents on the ropes, and could have gone 2-0 up just before half time. Lienhart’s dangerous back pass to Atubolu was just diverted away from the net by Freiburg’s number 1. “The ball was definitely going in, but I just about managed to stop it,” Atubolu said with a smile after the game.

Schuster also added following the match: “Bochum showed that they can be hard to play against. We still started the game well, but couldn’t get the goal we deserved. That’s often the way in football. You don’t take your chances and then you let in one at the other end.”

Freiburg made a fast start to the second half, but, again, struggled to find the back of the net. Adamu got himself to Grifo’s free kick at the far post, but Drewes was equal to it once more (46’). On 54 minutes, VfL boss Peter Zeidler was himself rueing a missed chance at the other end, when Atubolu prevented the visitors from going 2-0 ahead.

Adamu the goalscorer and Grifo the creator

However, SCF did finally manage to get that richly deserved equaliser. Grifo played an intelligent pass which opened up the defence, and Adamu calmly struck home (58’). Three minutes later, SC again caused chaos in the Bochum penalty area. Kübler and Doan were both denied by Drewes, but, with a bit of luck and the help of a ricochet off a Bochum torso, Adamu got his second of the game, and Freiburg had turned the match around. Straight after, Grifo missed a chance for the third goal, when he couldn’t quite execute a volley when free in the box.

The visitors were unsettled, but not shellshocked. In the 72nd minute, the ball was in SCF’s net once more. Referee Daniel Siebert blew straight away however, as Lukas Daschner had diverted Philipp Hofmann’s header into the goal with his arm. On 77 minutes, Atubolu had to make himself big, and was happy to see Hofmann’s shot go just wide of the post.

SC continued to keep the pressure on with quick forays forward and low balls into the box. After 75 minutes, Doan had missed a good chance for 3-1, and Eren Dinkci and Grifo also had opportunities. The visitors continued to look shaky defensively. After Drewes spilled a long ball forward, Adamu pounced and was inches away from getting his hat trick. Substitute Lucas Höler then looked to have made it 3-1, but the referee adjudged that the striker was offside from Kiliann Sildillia’s pass.

After the disallowed goal, Freiburg kept hold of their lead to pick up a second successive home victory, again after coming from behind. “We know that we can turn games around,” said Matthias Ginter, who came on in the 46th minute for his 350th Bundesliga appearance. A relieved Schuster added: “I have to compliment the team. They remained patient and we got our reward with the goals.”