Cajetan Lenz is one of those young players making a name for himself at VfL Bochum. Yet he remains humble.

VfL Bochum has recently delivered strong performances in the DFB-Pokal. Against the struggling Bundesliga side FC Augsburg, the equally struggling VfL did not prove to be an easy opponent—quite the opposite.

Because Bochum held their ground defensively and Gerrit Holtmann finished off a counterattack for the 1-0 lead, Bochum celebrated a 1-0 away win and a spot in the DFB Cup round of 16. Just like their upcoming opponent, 1. FC Magdeburg, by the way. They won 3-0 at FV Illertissen.

“I watched the press conference. Magdeburg, so to speak, only played against a regional league team. A completely different match awaits us this coming Sunday,” said Cajetan Lenz on the sidelines of training.

That Sunday, November 2, at 1:30 p.m., bottom-of-the-table 1. FC Magdeburg will visit second-to-last VfL Bochum. A true basement battle. “The situation in the league isn’t good right now. This game will be very important. However, the season is still long and there are still many games to win.”

Lenz is one of the players on the roster who has already celebrated personal successes. Dieter Hecking, who was still the coach at the start of the season, had already placed his trust in him. Successor Uwe Rösler also relies on the 19-year-old’s services in defensive midfield.

Rösler recently even praised Lenz as the “ideal player” for his needs. Will that go to Lenz’s head? “My parents always try to keep me grounded. But that’s just the kind of person I am. I want to keep working hard and learn a lot. There’s still a lot to improve.”

Yet Lenz has already proven himself. “Of course, it’s easier for a young player to break into the lineup when things aren’t going so well. If everything were going great, there might not even be a need.” He is one of the few players to benefit from Bochum’s weak start.

The VfL aims to continue correcting that against Magdeburg. “It’s about going in with the same intensity and attitude as in the past three games,” said Lenz. with gp