Union Berlin missed a chance at reinstating their four-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga, going down 2-1 at bottom side Bochum on Sunday. Union came into the weekend with a four-point lead, but the gap was cut to just one after Bayern Munich defeated Hoffenheim 2-0 on Saturday.6 – VfL Bochum are the first bottom placed side to beat the league leaders in the #Bundesliga in almost six years; in December 2016 FC Ingolstadt had beaten RB Leipzig 1-0. Upset. #BOCFCU pic.twitter.com/yiIbw0TlLs— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) October 23, 2022 “I recognised how much desire the team had to get something out of the game from the start. We played a great game and deserved to win” Bochum coach Thomas Letsch said after the game.Bochum took the lead in the final minute of the first half when Philipp Hofmann headed in a corner. Looking to ignite a tired-looking side exhausted by frequent midweek matches as a result of their Europa League campaign, Fischer made three changes in the 63rd minute. However, it was the home side which continued to look fresher, scoring a second on the counter in the 71st minute when Christopher Antwi-Adjei crossed for Gerrit Holtmann to score.
Union had a chance to mount a comeback when awarded a penalty in the 77th minute, but Bochum goalkeeper Manuel Riemann saved Milos Pantovic’s tentative spot-kick. Pantovic got on the board in the last minute of injury time, but it was not enough as Union failed to secure three points for just the fourth time this season. Union midfielder Rani Khedira said his side only had themselves to blame for an “unnecessary and frustrating” defeat.”The first Bochum goal we practically scored ourselves, the second we invited them for a counter. If we don’t do the basics, it’s going to get difficult. We need to push ourselves to the limit in every game” said Khedira.
The win saw Bochum leapfrog Schalke, who finished the weekend stranded in last place after going down 2-1 at Hertha Berlin in Sunday’s late game. The visitors, who fired coach Frank Kramer after their midweek German Cup exit, started furiously and had two goals chalked off for offside in the opening 20 minutes — both scored by former Union Berlin player Marius Buelter.
Hertha took the lead in the 48th minute when French midfielder Lucas Tousart’s swerving shot squirmed under the dive of Schalke keeper Alexander Schwolow. Schalke looked like they had snared a late point when another Frenchman, midfielder Florent Mollet, skidded a shot through the legs of Hertha defender Agustin Rogel to make it 1-1 with five minutes remaining.
Hertha re-took the lead just three minutes later when Ivorian striker Wilfried Kanga raced onto a pass 40 metres from goal and evaded the Schalke defence to give his side just their second win of the season — and their first at home. After the game, Hertha coach Sandro Schwarz toasted his side’s “dirty victory”, saying he was “incredibly happy” with his side’s performance.© Agence France-PresseBUNDESLIGA – MATCHDAY 11Saturday Augsburg – RB Leipzig 3-3 (1-0)/Berisha 34 pen, Demirovic 51, Vargas 64 – Silva 73, Nkunku 89, Novoa 90/Leverkusen – Wolfsburg 2-2 (1-1)/Diaby 17, Frimpong 76 – Andrich 28 og, Arnold 53 pen/Dortmund – Stuttgart 5-0 (3-0)/Bellingham 2, 53, Sule 13, Reyna 44, Moukoko 72/Freiburg – Werder 2-0 (0-0)/Kubler 56, Grifo 80 pen/Hoffenheim – Bayern 0-2 (0-2)/Musiala 17, Choupo Moting 38/M’ gladbach – Eintr.Frankfurt 1-3 (0-3)/Thuram 72 – Lindstrom 6, 45, Dina Ebimbe 29/Sunday Bochum – Union Berlin 2-1 (1-0)/Hofmann 43, Holtmann 71 – Pantovic 90+1/Hertha – Schalke 2-1/Tousart 49, Kanga 88 – Mollet 85/