Bochum vs. Hertha BSC: Two struggling teams face off
Two sides fighting to retain their place in the Bundesliga will go head-to-head on Saturday when Bochum welcome Hertha BSC to the Vonovia Ruhrstadion.
| Thomas Letsch. | Photo: Werner100359, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Bochum
Bochum finished 2022 in the automatic relegation places, with one point separating them from the playoff position and safety altogether. They began the Bundesliga campaign with six straight defeats, which ultimately resulted in the sacking of Thomas Reis.
Die Unabsteigbaren turned to the Eredivisie for Reis’ replacement, plucking Thomas Letsch from Vitesse Arnhem, and he has overseen an encouraging run of results following his appointment as Bochum boss.
In his seven league games in charge, Bochum have recorded four wins, including consecutive victories in their final two games of 2022. Despite demonstrating an improvement on the pitch, there is still a lot of work to do if Bochum are to avoid relegation this term. They are currently the second-lowest scorers in the topflight, while they also boast the worst defensive record in the Bundesliga after conceding 36 goals in 15 matches
The hosts will be aiming to continue their impressive home form after winning their last three Bundesliga home games, scoring at least two goals in all three of those victories.
Team News
Letsch has stated that Keven Schlotterbeck is set to make his debut for the club after joining on loan from Freiburg. Bochum will be without the services of Michael Esser, Paul Grave and Cristian Gamboa, who all miss out through injury.
Hertha BSC
Sandro Schwarz will be looking for an improvement on the pitch in the Rückrunde. Hertha have won three, drawn five and lost seven of their 15 league games this season, leaving them in 15th place. They are currently one point clear of automatic relegation, but only a superior goal difference over Stuttgart keeps them out of the playoff spot.
After beating FC Köln 2-0 in their final match of 2022, Hertha have the chance to claim consecutive victories for the first time this season. However, their away record will not inspire too much confidence ahead of Saturday’s encounter. They have won only one of their seven away games in the Bundesliga this season, while they have lost five of those away matches, including their last three.
Despite struggling to pick up points on their travels, they can take inspiration from the 3-1 victory they recorded in their away meeting with Bochum last season.
Team News
Schwarz has indicated that could be given Derry Scherhant his first start for the senior side. Meanwhile, the Hertha boss is unable to call upon Chidera Ejuke, Kelian Nsona and Florian Niederlechner due to injury issues. Dodi Lukebakio is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
