Miracle or 2nd division? There are no more options for VfL Bochum when the relegation second leg at Fortuna Düsseldorf comes up on Monday (20:30).

VfL Bochum still have a chance of securing their place in the Bundesliga. But the chances are slim at best after the 0:3 in the relegation first leg against Fortuna Düsseldorf.

Supported by 5200 Bochum fans, VfL are planning the miracle of Düsseldorf – although the question is whether the players’ heads are clear again or whether the 0:3 in the Ruhrstadion has given the team the rest.

VfL Sport managing director Patrick Fabian emphasized before the 90 minutes: “We are in contact with the players. We were brutally disappointed after the 3-0 defeat. That dragged on into the next day. With every day and every hour that has passed, things have changed. We realized in the talks that the hope is there, the faith is coming back. That requires the right attitude on the pitch.”

VfL will have to cope with an important loss, as Bernardo picked up his tenth yellow card in the first leg and is out. Maximilian Wittek will probably replace him in the back four.

Much more important than the question of who plays where, however, is the question of whether Heiko Butscher was able to rally the team. Was he able to instill the belief that a miracle is possible?

At the pre-match press conference, he said: “We were extremely disappointed. It took us a very long time to find our feet again. In the first leg, it didn’t work out the way we wanted it to: We tried to get the team back on its feet. We want to do everything we can to create a small miracle. We’ll see if that works. Everyone reacts differently. Something has to come from the team now, they’re on the pitch.”

And again without the regular number one Manuel Riemann, captain Anthony Losilla will probably slip back into the starting eleven. And after the first leg, the players are at least obliged to give their all

Butscher lays out the approach: “We’re going into the game with the belief that we can still turn things around. We’ve made it clear what we want to do. We’re athletes, we’re competitors, we won’t give up until the final whistle has gone. We want to get our foot in the door one more time.”

And if it doesn’t work, then the VfL coach at least wants to see a team that fights back, that shows the fans that it will do everything it can to turn things around.

Or as Butscher puts it: “It’s all a question of attitude. There have been events, even if they are rare, where something like this has been turned around. I want to see the belief that we can achieve something really big. “