Bochum in Dortmund: A 4:3, Haaland and the loss of the clean slate

Erhan Masovic could hardly stop Erling Haaland, but ultimately had the lead with Bochum in the summer of 2022.
IMAGO/osnapix

With a bitter 1:5 at VfB Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund goes into the small Revierderby, VfL Bochum with a 2:2 against Holstein Kiel, which feels like a defeat due to the last-minute equalizer from the previously pointless newcomer. Reparations are also announced. And the facts speak for Dortmund.

BVB has won its last four home games across the seasons – with 15:3 goals. Although Bochum ended its season-long series of five defeats in a row with the draw against Kiel, they had the lowest pass rate (73.4 percent) and the weakest tackle rate (44.8 percent) in the first four games of 2024/25. In addition, there was no clean slate for the Revierklub in the last 20 games.

By the way, this series of clean sheets started on the 19th matchday of the previous season when VfL was away – yes, in Dortmund (1:3). The latest balance speaks in favor of the Black and Yellows, who have only lost one of the last eleven home games against Bochum. The score was 3:4 on matchday 32 of 2021/22 in a game that was tough.

Haaland 3, Bochum 4

It was the 32nd matchday of the 2021/22 season, Bochum needed a win to theoretically secure relegation. And VfL led 2-0 after just eight minutes, before a certain Erling Haaland in one of his last games for Dortmund with a hat-trick brought the party over to the home team after a good hour.

But VfL rose again and achieved something that hadn't happened in 23 years: a victory in Dortmund, which Jürgen Locadia and Milos Pantovic secured late on. It was the only three-pointer in the last 48 games away from home in which Bochum was behind – but it was a special victory that even Haaland ultimately couldn't prevent. VfL's last away win was last season, it was again on matchday 32, and it was again 4:3, this time at Union Berlin.

BVB reparation 3.0

Meanwhile, BVB corrected the last home defeat against VfL in the last two seasons, when Bochum were sent home with a first 3-1 and in January with a 3-0 after Füllkrug's hat-trick. Is BVB rehabilitating itself for the debacle at VfB or is Bochum improving its record with the black and yellow?