Borussia Dortmund take on the visitors Bochum in the round 5 match of German Bundesliga. The match will be played on Friday, September 27th at Signal Iduna Park (Dortmund).
Borussia Dortmund reached the Champions League final in the spring. However, they lost the decisive match to Real Madrid. Additionally, in the Bundesliga, Dortmund, who narrowly missed winning the title due to a slip-up in the final round, ended up finishing 5th, even falling behind RB Leipzig, their main competitor throughout the season. UEFA had already confirmed that five German teams would qualify for the Champions League, but Dortmund still decided to make significant changes. The first major move was parting ways with head coach Edin Terzić, who was replaced by Nuri Şahin, who had arrived in the winter. Letting go of Marco Reus and Mats Hummels and selling Niclas Füllkrug, Dortmund brought in Jan Couto, Bayer, Gerassi, Gross, and Anton. The revamped team has been winning frequently, starting with a 4-1 victory over Phoenix Lübeck in the DFB-Pokal and a 3-0 away win against Club Brugge in the Champions League. However, they stumbled in the Bundesliga, drawing 0-0 with Werder Bremen and then suffering a 1-5 defeat to Stuttgart.
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Bochum lives up to their nickname. The "Unbreakables" have managed to provide further justification for their unofficial, yet well-earned, title. This modest team, after being promoted to the Bundesliga, has consistently secured enough points to avoid relegation back to the second tier of German football. It seemed like their luck would run out in 2024. However, they finished 16th, staying ahead of a couple of relegation candidates. Even after losing 0-3 at home to Fortuna Düsseldorf, they made a remarkable comeback in the away leg and won after a lengthy penalty shootout. To improve, they hired long-time St. Gallen coach Peter Zeidler in the summer and strengthened the squad with signings like Boadu and Horn. Nevertheless, Bochum lost to everyone, from Jahn Regensburg in the DFB-Pokal to their first three Bundesliga opponents. They only managed a draw against newly-promoted Holstein Kiel, conceding a late equalizer in the 89th minute at home to finish 2-2.
Borussia Dortmund has gone unbeaten in five straight meetings with Bochum. However, before their victory in January 2023, the "Black and Yellows" had settled for draws twice against the "Unbreakables." Dortmund needs to overcome their current slump, and this fixture provides the perfect opportunity: hosting a struggling side at home. The bet here is on a home win with a handicap of "-1.5 goals."
Prediction for the match: Borussia Dortmund to win with -1.5 handicap.