It has been a while. SC have had to wait six matchdays for a win in the league, but now they have finally got one. SC didn’t put in quite as brave a performance as recently against West Ham and Bayern, but they were efficient and finished off two counterattacks well. Christian Streich was pleased with the performance: “We knew what was ahead of us here in this great stadium with this atmosphere. The team left everything out on the pitch that they could.”

Michael Gregoritsch started in place of Lucas Höler upfront, and he and the team both had the aim to finally win in the Bundesliga again. After a short delay due to pyrotechnics in the Bochum end, SC initially had to excel in defence because it was the hosts who started more aggressively, let the ball do the running for them, and forced Noah Atubolu into a save after 14 minutes. Keven Schlotterbeck shot from the edge of the box and SC’s shotstopper turned the ball round the post for a corner.

SC played patiently, but after winning the ball back they couldn’t find any way through the Bochum defence and towards goal. Christian Streich pushed his side on from the sidelines, giving endless instructions from his technical area. Soon afterwards, Ritsu Doan had the first good chance all of a sudden and Vincenzo Grifo went close immediately afterwards (24’, 25’). After an attack down the right, Doan had a shot inside the box which was well sabed by Bochum ‘keeper Manuel Riemann. He was then fortunate that Grifo's shot was deflected wide because he himself was diving the other way.

Despite not having many chances going forward in the first half an hour, with the hosts playing bravely and putting SC under pressure, it was the visitors who took the lead. Maximilian Eggestein cleverly got away from his opposite number before turning home Gregoritsch’s ball in on the volley (36’).

SC were more efficient, but even after the opening goal it was the Bundesliga fifteenth-placed side who looked to get forward and had a good chance to equalise in extra time at the end of the first half through Kevin Stöger’s header, but he couldn’t find the target. “We were the luckier side today,” admitted Gregoritsch after the game.

Gregoritsch doubles the lead, Bochum stay in the game

The first good opportunity of the second half went SC’s way and they made the most of this, scoring their second goal. Roland Sallai took control of the ball and found Doan, whose brilliant cross was headed home by Gregoritsch. A perfect end to a well-worked counter and the first shot on goal of the second half. SC were now more energetic, but Bochum also had their chances. Erhan Masovic tested Atubolu with a shot from distance (54‘), Borschinski couldn’t get on the end of a cross in the penalty area (57') and in the 62nd minute Atubolu claimed the ball in the six yard box, but in the 63d minute the ball flew into the back of his net. Ivan Ordets’ header from a corner sailed right into the top corner, pulling one back for the hosts. Two minutes later, Takuma Asano kicked the ground as he shot from the edge of the box, meaning his effort on goal lacked any real power.

SC were challenged defensively, with the home side pilling on the pressure. Ordets had another header, this time from a freekick, and Bochum looked dangerous in and around SC’s box again and again. The next couple of chances fell to Goncalo Paciencia who fired over the goal and then had a header held by Atubolu (77’, 78’). There was a short respite until Keven Schlotterbeck had a free header from a corner in the 90th minute, but luckily his header was just over the target.

By the fifth minute of additional time, Riemann was spending more time in the front of his opponent’s goal than his own, and Asano also had another shooting opportunity as the game came to its conclusion (90+6’). The luck stayed on SC’s side, however, which goalscorer Gregoritsch was also quick to acknowledge. “We knew what Bochum all are about. We held our own, with a little bit of luck.” Streich praised his team’s performance: “We were able to pull an extremely competitive game our way. It was great to see how the boys held their own today. It was maybe slightly lucky, but not fully underserved.”

Photo: DeFodi