In a lively opening, Blum gave VfL an early lead before Manuel Riemann saved Goncalo Paciencia’s penalty. Daichi Kamada went close to an equaliser in the closing stages, rattling the inside of the post before Polter’s close-range finish sealed the points for Bochum.
Eagles unchanged
Despite the quick turnaround, Oliver Glasner kept faith with the 11 players who started Thursday’s 3-1 Europa League victory at home to Olympiacos. Tuta, Almamy Toure and Djibril Sow were suffering with what Glasner described as “minor issues” following the Group D win, but all three players were deemed fit to start.
Blum haunts former club
Bochum, who claimed their second league win of the season at Greuther Fürth last time out, started with a spring in their step and opened the scoring with their first effort of the game. Polter’s flick-on was played into Blum’s path by Takuma Asano and the ex-Eagles midfielder made no mistake with his finish into the far corner. Polter was in the thick of the action again moments later when he was adjudged to have handled Filip Kostic’s corner inside the area, but Paciencia’s spot-kick was saved by Bochum goalkeeper Riemann.
Thomas Reis’ team had a flurry of chances to double their advantage midway through the first half, but neither Polter nor Blum were able to beat Kevin Trapp with goal-bound headers. The lively Blum also sent a long range effort wide of the target as Bochum sought to double their advantage. Eintracht managed to stem the tide towards the end of the half, but both Paciencia and Kristijan Jakic were forced off through injury before the break.
Polter seals Eintracht’s fate
Ominously for the Eagles, Bochum continued to create the better opportunities after half-time. Asano forced Trapp into a low save five minutes into the second period, before Polter steered another effort wide of the Eintracht goalkeeper’s near post. Riemann had to be on his toes to snuff out efforts from Sam Lammers and Toure, but Bochum remained the more dangerous side and Asano was inches away from getting on the end of Gerrit Holtmann’s low cross with 20 minutes remaining.
Kostic almost fashioned an equaliser soon afterwards with a trademark cross, but Lammers could only steer his header onto the roof of Riemann’s net. Kamada then struck the frame of the goal after cutting inside onto his right foot on the edge of the box, but that was the closest Eintracht came to a late leveller as Polter fired home a loose ball in second-half stoppage time to complete the scoring.
Summary: Frustration for Eagles
Glasner was expecting this to be a tricky fixture for his charges, and so it proved as Bochum took the game to Eintracht and emerged worthy winners. The Eagles threw everything at their hosts in the closing stages but could not force an equaliser prior to Polter’s late second. They will hope to make amends at home to Leipzig next Saturday.
SGE line-up
Trapp – Tuta, Hasebe, Hinteregger – Toure (Hauge 75’), Sow (Hrustic 75’), Jakic (Rode 45’), Kostic – Kamada – Borré, Paciencia (Lammers 28’)
Goals
1-0 Blum (3’)
2-0 Polter (90+2’)
