Derby week in the Ruhr area. VfL Bochum is preparing for the clash with Borussia Dortmund. Captain Anthony Losilla is positive about the preparation.

There has been a lot going on at VfL Bochum in the last few days. First the home win and near-abandonment of the game against Stuttgart, then the successful secret test at 1. FC Köln. At the beginning of the week, coach Thomas Letsch is therefore taking it a little easier.

The training week and thus the preparation for the derby at Borussia Dortmund (Sunday, January 28, 5:30 p.m.) does not start until Wednesday. With nine points separating them from the relegation spot, captain Anthony Losilla is approaching the difficult away game with confidence.

“I’m a very positive guy, so I believe that something is possible in Dortmund, even though they have strengthened their squad.” BVB newcomers Ian Maatsen and returnee Jadon Sancho have hit the ground running. ”But we’ve proven that we can also perform well against opponents like that. We’re not favorites, but we’ll do everything we can to make it as difficult as possible for them.”

Just like it worked out against VfB Stuttgart. “We wanted to take the fun out of football for them, because they have so far played outstandingly against all opponents, including Dortmund and Leverkusen,” Losilla continued. “We didn’t want to give them any opportunities.”

“VfL Bochum – VfB Stuttgart 1:0 20. January 2024” src=“https://forecasting-sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/1.841_norm.jpg” width=“680” height=“470” /☻

That worked well overall, especially in the first half. “Of course, it might not have been a pretty game for the spectators, but in the end we didn’t let anything through and that was the aim.” The fans were then rewarded after a 60-minute wait.

“After the long break, we wanted to be more offensive, with more courage, and that worked out.” Matus Bero scored the goal of the day, which was defended with passion and a bit of luck until the end. Despite absences and a newly formed back four.

“This shows that we have a strong squad and that we can beat anyone, no matter who is missing.” This applies above all to the rebuilt home fortress at the Ruhr Stadium. 14 of the 20 points have been scored at home, and VfL has not been beaten there in six games (three wins, three draws).

“That’s what has made us strong in recent years,” Losilla is well aware. ‘We’ve always been good and stable in our home games.’ They’ve only lost one home game, against Gladbach. ‘We can work with that, but somehow we also have to score points away from home to achieve our goal.’

What better time to start than the derby at our big neighbors in Dortmund?