One player caused an upset at VfL Bochum by always playing. However, two professionals are at risk of missing important matches soon.
He had to sit out training from time to time due to minor injuries, but when it got serious, he was reliable. Goalkeeper Manuel Riemann, our WAZ Player of the Year at VfL, has not missed a second so far. This is not surprising in principle – but it is surprising in the case of Bernardo, who has also played all 16 games (1440 minutes).
The Brazilian newcomer only came from RB Salzburg in August, was immediately set, and shone above all as a left-back after playing in the center of defense for quite a few games. The 28-year-old, who has been repeatedly set back by injuries throughout his career, is the most important transfer made by VfL last summer, and his contract runs until 2025. It is likely that Bernardo has long been on the radar of several clubs.
Takuma Asano was also in the starting line-up for all 16 games (substituted 14 times/1191 minutes), Anthony Losilla (1222 minutes) and Kevin Stöger (1193 minutes) had to pass up one game each, and Erhan Masovic (1117 minutes) had to pass up two games.
Bernardo is the Bundesliga’s top tackler
In total, coach Thomas Letsch used 24 players, including Simon Zoller, who transferred to FC St. Pauli at the end of August. Seven players did not even get a chance: the injured Lys Mousset and Mo Tolba, talent Mats Pannewig, the sale/loan candidates Moritz Römling and Jordi Osei-Tutu, as well as the goalkeepers Niclas Thiede and Michael Esser.
With 223 tackles won, he is the number one in the Bundesliga, well ahead of Hoffenheim’s Anton Stach (206) and Heidenheim’s Tim Kleindienst (190). For a long time, Bernardo, who is able to analyze matches in such a refreshingly relaxed manner even after hard-fought matches, was in a duel for the top spot with teammate Ivan Ordets, who has been out injured since the 2-2 draw against Mainz at the end of October. Ordets is expected to return to team training in January. Bochum’s second-best tackler is the ever-running Anthony Losilla (146/21st in the league), followed by Kevin Stöger (143/25).
Running performance
Bernardo also leads the way in total running performance with 167.4 kilometers (18th in the league), ahead of Losilla (156.7/33). The captain has always been in the top ten in the league, but missing one game due to illness and making seven substitutions has caused him to slip to 33rd place. Bochum’s number three in terms of total distance covered is Takuma Asano (147.1), just ahead of Kevin Stöger (144.7). The best in the Bundesliga so far is Granit Xhaka of league leaders Bayer Leverkusen (189.7 km).
Bochum is not on fast soles
Takuma Asano, Christopher Antwi-Adjei, Gerrit Holtmann, who has been on loan since the summer: fast offensive players helped VfL to avoid relegation twice. They are still fast, but have been left behind in the league in the first half of the season so far. No Bochum player made it into the top 20 in terms of top speed, with Erenk Dinkci of FC Heidenheim leading the Bundesliga ranking (36.41 km/h).
Asano is in 31st place with 34.62 km/h, the second-fastest Bochum player is a young defender: Tim Oermann (34.2 km/h) is ahead of Christopher Antwi-Adjei (34.17). Asano, however, is in third place in terms of the number of sprints (474), tied with Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz (first: Bayer’s Jeremie Frimpong, 587). In the team ranking, VfL is in eighth place in terms of sprints.
Goals, assists and chocolate
Takuma Asano has scored five goals in his 16 appearances, and his last goal made headlines worldwide because he ate chocolate thrown onto the pitch by Union Berlin fans, which, by his own admission, gave him the necessary strength. Asano and his management have capitalized on the popularity of chocolate, with the Japanese player promoting a chocolate from his homeland on his Instagram account. However, he is now aiming to score for his country in the Asian Cup, and will be unavailable to VfL for up to five Bundesliga matches.
Kevin Stöger could displace him from first place in the first few games of the year. He is second at VfL with four goals, including three converted penalties, followed by Gonaclo Paciencia with three goals – albeit with significantly less playing time.
Stöger is ahead in terms of assists (3), while Philipp Hofmann, who is yet to score and was dropped from the squad in recent games, has two assists to his name. All other players, including Asano, have a maximum of one. In the scoring race (1 point for each goal or assist), Stöger leads with 7 points, ahead of Asano (6) and Paciencia (3).
Some consolation for Hofmann: he is still third in the Bundesliga for aerial duels won, with 75, followed by teammate Bernardo (70).
Schlotterbeck racking up yellow cards
Keven Schlotterbeck is leading the way at VfL – as a vocal leader. And also as a tough-tackling defensive linchpin. As a result, the defender, who is on loan from SC Freiburg, has already collected six yellow cards. Only Dominik Kohr (Mainz), Eren Dinkci (Heidenheim) and Grischa Prömel (Hoffenheim) have received the same number. Schlotterbeck has only started nine of the 16 matches, but in those nine appearances, he has seen yellow in two out of three games on average.
Kevin Stöger picked up his fifth yellow card shortly before the final whistle in the strongest game of the season so far against Union Berlin (3-0), was absent in the 4-0 loss at Leverkusen – and is therefore ready to play again in the important home game against Werder Bremen at the start of the year on Sunday, January 14. The same applies to Erhan Masovic and Cristian Gamboa, who are on the verge of a mandatory break after collecting four yellow cards so far. Anthony Losilla, Bernardo, Matus Bero and Christopher Antwi-Adjei have seen three yellow cards each.
With 46 yellow cards, Bochum has conceded the second-most in the league after Mainz (47) and before Darmstadt (45). The strong Stuttgart team have only been given 21 yellow cards, while Bayern Munich have been given 22. No Bochum player has yet been shown a yellow-red or red card.