VfL Bochum only managed to annoy the German champions at least a little in the early stages. Then the game turned – and the goal difference suffered too. For Kevin Stöger “it doesn’t matter”
VfL Bochum had to wait until the 34th matchday. A 0:5 defeat against Bayer 04 Leverkusen meant that the team’s early relegation was off the table. Like his attacking teammates, Stöger was largely only able to make a serious impact in the early stages of the clash with the German champions. Felix Passlack’s sending off in the 15th minute tipped the balance in the Werkself’s favor.
“You can lose against Leverkusen with one man less,” said Stöger on DAZN, putting the clear defeat into perspective. One point would have been enough to celebrate their early league survival, but by half-time at the latest, it should have become clear to all those who support VfL that this plan will not work – yet.
Critical point: sending off
“You can only make a few mistakes. We made one or two mistakes, you get punished straight away and you’re left trailing.” The Austrian was probably referring in particular to Passlack’s positioning in the run-up to the red card and the resulting emergency brake. “It’s bitter, of course, but we can still move on,” said the 30-year-old, looking ahead. The fact that the result turned out to be so high in the end “doesn’t matter in the end”. Bochum won’t stay in the league “because of the goal difference, we knew that, we said that at half-time. Whether you lose 3:0 or 5:0, it doesn’t matter. “
Stöger leaves his future open – three points ahead of Union
It is still unclear whether Stöger will continue to play for VfL next season. At the very least, the chances of the attacking midfielder staying would be significantly increased if Bochum secure relegation on the final matchday. This would require at least a draw at SV Werder Bremen in order to stay in the league on their own. “Who says it will be my last game in this shirt?” Stöger responded a little testily when asked. “We’ll have to see what happens after the season.”
One thing is clear in any case: Ahead of the final, decisive matchday next Saturday at 3.30 pm, VfL Bochum have a three-point lead over 1. FC Union Berlin, who are in 16th place with 30 points. Direct relegation has been off the table since matchday 31. While Bochum have to travel to the Weser, the Ironmen face SC Freiburg
