The starting position is clear: If VfL Bochum win at Hertha BSC, they can stay in the relegation zone. In the event of a defeat, the team could drop back into the relegation zone.
Recently, VfL Bochum has also been doing well away from home in the Bundesliga. Before the 0:2 defeat at Borussia Mönchengladbach, coach Thomas Letsch’s team had not lost three times in a row away from home.
This Saturday (15.30) is probably the most important away game of the season. The VfL can clinch its place in the relegation play-offs with bottom-placed Hertha BSC.
Prerequisite: a win of their own, a defeat of Schalke 04 against Eintracht Frankfurt and no victory of VfB Stuttgart on Sunday at FSV Mainz. If these three factors come together, there will be the biggest couch party in Bochum’s history.
But there is still a lot of work to do before the party, because for Berlin it is the last little chance to escape relegation. For Hertha BSC, the only thing that counts is a win, otherwise it’s definitely over for the Bundesliga.
Letsch is prepared for that, as he emphasises: “The situation is clear, Hertha have to win. But we can’t concentrate too much on how they will act. The head is also rattling for us, we are clear how we want to perform on Saturday.”
Looking at his team, the coach reveals, “There is a certain tension, that is quite normal. It’s going into the final decisions. Nevertheless, there is also anticipation. We have created a great starting situation for ourselves.”
The coach will have to do without Konstantinos Stafylidis and Patrick Osterhage, neither of whom will be fit in time for the thriller in the capital. Letsch: “The personnel situation is unchanged. Stafy still has problems, he could only train individually. Further examinations are pending. Patti Osterhage is out of the question for Berlin. We hope that it will be enough for Leverkusen again. “
The onslaught from the fans is enormous. It’s going to be even bigger than at the previous away games.
Thomas Letsch
The VfL won the first leg 3:1 – thanks to their home strength at the time. It could also be a home game at the Olympiastadion, as over 10,000 Bochum fans are expected in Berlin.
Letsch is impressed by the home crowd: “We are very happy about the support in Berlin. The rush from the fans is enormous. It’s going to be another step up from the previous away games.”
This is how VfL Bochum could play at Hertha BSC
Riemann – Janko, Ordets, Masovic, Heintz – Stöger, Losilla, Förster – Asano, Hofmann, Antwi-Adjej
Yellow suspension threatens: Simon Zoller, Ivan Ordets, Philipp Hofmann and Konstantinos Stafylidis
Missing: Konstantinos Stafylidis, Patrick Osterhage