Head coach Oliver Glasner rotated following Tuesday’s Champions League match against Tottenham, making five changes to his starting XI. In came Luca Pellegrini, Junior Dina Ebimbe, Mario Götze, Rafael Borré und Lucas Alario, with the latter two forming a classic strike duo. Sebastian Rode, Daichi Kamada and Ansgar Knauff dropped to the bench, with Makoto Hasebe completely rested and Randal Kolo Muani serving a one-match suspension.
Alario with best chances
The first half was a rather flat affair, with the aggressive and compact hosts making life hard for Eintracht but lacking the quality in attack to threaten themselves. Alario, celebrating his 30th birthday, had the first attempt on goal in the seventh minute, flashing a shot just wide from 20 metres.
It was another 16 minutes before the next chance arrived and again it fell to Alario, who was played through on goal by Jesper Lindström but had his shot blocked by goalkeeper Manuel Riemann. Bochum’s only notable opportunity of the first half came at the end of it, when Gerrit Holtmann dribbled into the box but could only send a weak finish into the arms of Kevin Trapp.
Eagles undone by set pieces
The second half continued in a similar fashion, with the Eagles having more of the play but struggling to fashion clear-cut chances. The closest they came was in the 63rd minute, when the ball came to Borré in the penalty area and his shot took a slight deflection and struck the post.
The contest then suddenly opened up and it was during this period that Bochum broke the deadlock, with Philipp Hofmann getting the better of Tuta from Philipp Förster’s corner – the hosts’ eighth of the game – and planting a header into the bottom corner. Glasner reacted by bringing on Christopher Lenz and Faride Alidou, and Eintracht did find the net when fellow substitute Kamada turned in Lenz’s cross, but it was disallowed for offside.
The result was sealed in the closing stages. Förster’s free-kick was inadvertently turned in by the outstretched leg of Evan Ndicka and then the Bochum midfielder got on the scoresheet himself in added time, firing into the top corner to round off Bochum’s first home win of the season and Eintracht’s first defeat on the road.
Summary: Eagles not at their best
The scoreline is perhaps a bit harsh on Eintracht after what was an even contest until the final 20 minutes, but Glasner’s men laboured in attack all afternoon and were ultimately punished by an efficient Bochum side. The Eagles have to put this one behind them quickly as they have another big Champions League match away to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
SGE line-up
Trapp – Jakic (Chandler 46’), Tuta, Ndicka, Pellegrini (Lenz 78’) – Lindström (Alidou 78’), Dina Ebimbe, Sow (Rode 61’), Götze (Kamada 61’) – Alario, Borré
Goals
1-0 Hofmann (71‘)
2-0 Ndicka o.g. (87‘)
3-0 Förster (90‘+1)
