Bochum vs Fortuna Dusseldorf Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 German Bundesliga Relegation Play-off
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After finishing 16th-place in the Bundesliga, Bochum must contest a relegation play-off with Fortuna Dusseldorf, third-placed finishers in the 2. Bundesliga with the top flight side at home in the first-leg
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Thursday 23rd May 2024, UK – 19:30 / US EST – 14:30 / US PST – 11:30
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Sky Sports schedule / US – ESPN
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Sky Go / US – ESPN+
BOCHUM PREVIEW: KNOCKED INTO THE RELEGATION PLAY-OFF ON THE LAST DAY, NOW BOCHUM MUST PICK THEMSELVES BACK UP
Results flatlined at the worst possible time of the regular season for Bochum, who lost each of their last two Bundesliga games, dropping them into 16th-place on a dramatic final day which saw Union Berlin save themselves at Bochum’s expense. After being comprehensively beaten 4-1 away at Werder Bremen, all Bochum could do was wait and hope for salvation elsewhere.
It was looking like arriving courtesy of Freiburg, who were holding Union to a 1-1 draw in Christian Streich’s final game in charge. However, after a penalty deep into second half stoppage was saved, midfielder Janik Haberer converted on the follow up to seal a 2-1 win for Union, taking them above Bochum on goal difference.
FORTUNA DUSSELDORF PREVIEW: STAYING IN THE TIE CRUCIAL HERE FOR FORTUNA AWAY FROM HOME
After finishing fourth-placed in the 2. Bundesliga back in the 2022-23 season, Fortuna Dusseldorf have gone one better in the 2023-24 campaign, placing third with 63 points to their name and giving themselves a crack at returning to the German top flight for the first time since 2020 through this play-off.
Only seven defeats from their 34 league games is testament to Fortuna’s resolve, with 18 wins and nine draws. They also reached the DFB-Pokal semi-final, eventually losing to unbeaten Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen. The visitors travel to Bochum on the back of a seven-match unbeaten run, winning five.
BOCHUM TEAM NEWS: PASSLACK RETURNS FROM SUSPENSION, BUT ESSER, FORSTER, KWARTENG AND TOLBA OUT INJURED
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Luthe; Passlack, Ordets, Schlotterbeck, Bernardo; Losilla, Osterhage; Broschinski, Stoger, Antwi-Adjei; Hofmann
UNAVAILABLE: Esser (Injured), Forster (Injured), Kwarteng (Injured), Tolba (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Thiede (Injured)
FORTUNA DUSSELDORF TEAM NEWS: ASIDE FROM JAMIL SIEBERT, DANIEL THIOUNE HAS FULL-STRENGTH SQUAD TO CHOSE FROM
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Kastenmeier; Zimmermann, Oberdorf, De Wijs, Iyoha; Engelhardt, Tanaka; Klaus, Appelkamp, Tzolis; Daferner
UNAVAILABLE: Siebert (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
BOCHUM VS FORTUNA DUSSELDORF PREDICTION
The first-leg of this relegation play-off last season saw Stuttgart utilise home advantage to perfection, defeating Hamburg by three goals to nil and virtually ending the tie with the 2. Bundesliga side still to play at home. Fortuna Dusseldorf will be well aware of this and keeping themselves in contention ahead of the second-leg has to be the priority.
Expect the visitors to set themselves in a manner that makes them very tough to break down, but for Bochum to come at them hard at home. Playing at a high-level across the season, should stand them in good stead with their players capable of dominating here. Bochum are likely to fashion a number of opportunities that gives them a great chance of gaining an aggregate lead. With that in mind, utilise the safety of the draw no bet market to back a Bochum first-leg win.
BOCHUM VS FORTUNA DUSSELDORF TIP: BOCHUM DRAW NO BET
