VfL Bochum lost 1:3 (1:1) at Borussia Dortmund. Coach Thomas Letsch was thrilled with his team and annoyed about a penalty decision.

VfL Bochum lost the Revierderby at Borussia Dortmund 1:3 (1:1). The result sounds more clear-cut than the game was. In the end, two penalty goals made the difference.

At least one of them was debatable from the point of view of VfL coach Thomas Letsch. But one thing at a time. After just three minutes, referee Benjamin Brand pointed to the spot for the first time. Donyell Malen had been brought down by Manuel Riemann.

“If I were on the other side, I would say it was a clear penalty. On our side, with the blue and white glasses, I would say it was a bit of a stretch.” Nevertheless, Letsch could live with the whistle. ”From my point of view, I thought he was lifting. It looks different in slow motion.”

Letsch was not the only one reminded of the scene in Leverkusen, where Riemann had also caused a penalty. “For me, it was a clearer penalty than the one in Leverkusen, where ‘Manu’ pulls back. That was a wrong decision. And the second one today too.”

Which brings us to penalty number two. “I disagree with the referee on this one.” Letsch had seen both the foul and the handball. “Niclas Füllkrug leans up and his hand is still in play.”

But the second penalty also stood up to scrutiny. However, it cannot be denied that the controversial whistles against Bochum are piling up. “If you look purely at penalty scenes, there have been a few critical ones that were certainly not interpreted in our favor.”

A similar situation occurred in Freiburg as well as Leverkusen, and Bochum was denied a penalty in Leipzig. “I don’t want to insinuate anything, but of course we are the small VfL Bochum. I don’t know if it’s handled the other way around, but I’m far from blaming the referee.”