Niko Kovac will be looking to win his first Bundesliga game as Borussia Dortmund boss on Saturday when his side travel to Vonovia Ruhrstadion to play last-placed VfL Bochum.
The hosts are 18th with 11 points but earned a 2-2 draw against Holstein Kiel on February 8, while Dortmund were beaten 2-1 by Stuttgart on the same date and are 11th with just 29 points, though they are still in contention for European football next term.
Match preview
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Both Bochum and Holstein Kiel produced three big chances during their clash, though Die Blauen will be disappointed that they failed to hold onto the 2-1 lead they had acquired by the 39th minute.
However, the draw at least saw them close the gap to 16th-placed Heidenheim, who occupy the division's relegation playoff spot, to just three points with 13 games left to play.
Manager Dieter Hecking will be alarmed by his side's record in front of goal considering they have only found the back of the net 19 times in the league, with St Pauli the only club less productive in the final third.
Bochum have failed to achieve victory in any of their past four matches – drawing two and losing two – conceding nine while scoring five in that time.
Though Hecking's side have won two of their last four fixtures at home, those were the team's only wins at Vonovia Ruhrstadion stadium having lost five and drawn three of their 10 games at home in 2024-25.
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Opponents BVB came out on top in several offensive metrics against Stuttgart – their total of 16 shots was four times that of Die Roten – yet their defensive vulnerability was on full display, conceding twice after poorly defending crosses into the box.
Kovac did earn his first victory as Dortmund boss on Tuesday when his side beat Sporting Lisbon 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 playoff tie, and to their credit they prevented Sporting from creating any big chances.
The Black and Yellows have been in good goalscoring form in recent weeks given they have scored 11 times in five matches, and their record of 37 goals in the Bundesliga makes them the top flight's sixth-best offensive club.
Only seven points separate BVB from fourth-placed Leipzig, who occupy the final Champions League qualification spot, and they would only have to overturn a four-point deficit to overtake sixth-placed Freiburg and qualify for the Europa Conference League.
Dortmund will hope that their clash against Bochum goes more smoothly than when they faced them on September 27, when BVB came back from a two-goal deficit after 21 minutes to win 4-2 and claim all three points.
It should be noted that the visitors have triumphed in three of their last four matches in all competitions, though their form in the Bundesliga is poor considering they have lost four, drawn one and won just one of their six most recent games in the top flight.
Kovac's side have struggled on the road for some time, with the German giants having been beaten eight of their past 12 Bundesliga outings away from home, drawing two and winning two of the other four.
Team News
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Bochum defender Maximilian Wittek unfortunately picked up a yellow card last time out and is suspended for Saturday's match, and he will be joined on the sidelines by injured forwards Myron Boadu and Felix Passlack.
The hosts have at times used a back three against the league's best, so they could start Tim Oermann, Ivan Ordets and Bernardo in defence.
Gerrit Holtmann and Samuel Bamba may be fielded as wing-backs, while Moritz Broschinski and Philipp Hofmann are likely to start up front.
The visitors will be without suspended full-back Julian Ryerson and injured defender Ramy Bensebaini, so perhaps Kovac will name a back four consisting of Yan Couto, Waldemar Anton, Nico Schlotterbeck and Daniel Svensson.
Emre Can could be pushed from defence into midfield alongside Pascal Gross, but Felix Nmecha has been ruled out until March.
In attack, striker Serhou Guirassy is likely to be supported by Karim Adeyemi, Julian Brandt and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
VfL Bochum possible starting lineup:
Drewes; Oermann, Ordets, Bernardo; Bamba, Bero, Sissoko, Krauss, Holtmann; Broschinski, Hofmann
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Kobel; Couto, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Svensson; Can, Gross; Adeyemi, Brandt, Bynoe-Gittens; Guirassy
We say: VfL Bochum 1-3 Borussia Dortmund
Bochum will take encouragement from the fact Dortmund have been poor away from home this season, but they have struggled in front of goal in the Bundesliga.
It would not be surprising if the hosts managed to find the back of the net, but it is hard to see them avoiding defeat on Saturday unless they drastically improve at both ends of the pitch.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
