BOYS IN BROWN OUT TO CRACK "TOUGH NUT" BOCHUM
Thursday, 04. June 2020, 18:32 Uhr
Next up for Jos Luhukay's side after a burst of three matches in eight days is a trip to VfL Bochum on Friday evening (18:30 CET). The Boys in Brown have won on each of their last three visits and would love to extend that run, of course. But Bochum, who top the current form table after taking eight out of a possible 12 points since the restart, will be aiming to maintain their upward trend by securing another home win.
All things considered, last week's 1-1 draw at Karlsruhe was a fair outcome. The Boys in Brown would have loved to have widened the gap over their opponents to eight points by landing their first win of the season outside of Hamburg, but the draw at least kept KSC at bay, and on Friday evening the Boys in Brown have another opportunity to increase their cushion. For that to happen, Jos Luhukay's charges will need to get a result, ideally a win, at VfL Bochum, who despite being four places above them in the table are only one point better off.
A glance at the St. Pauli travel logs gives cause for optimism. While outings to Heidenheim (six defeats in six), Darmstadt (no wins, two draws, seven defeats) and Aue (one win, two draws, seven defeats) have rarely proved fruitful in terms of points, the Boys in Brown have been more than happy to drive the 350 kilometres to Bochum, where they haven't lost in over seven years. Their last three trips to the Ruhr have all ended victorious, forming part of an unbeaten 11-game run against our next opponents (six wins, five draws).
Continuing that run on Friday evening will be no easy task, however. "Bochum are among the top three or four footballing teams in the league. We know we'll have to give it our best shot if we want to get anything there," said Johannes Flum ahead of the game. The Ruhr outfit have done well since the restart and remain unbeaten. Two home wins over Heidenheim (3-0) and Kiel (2-1) and two scoreless draws at Karlsruhe and Nürnberg have carried Thomas Reis's side to the top of the form table since the resumption. Bochum were unbeaten in their last three games before the lockdown, too, and haven't lost since the 1-0 defeat against Stuttgart in mid-February.
"We're determined to chalk up a win, but we know Bochum are out to do exactly the same," said Flum, who thinks they pose a stiffer test than last week's opponents Karlsruhe. "With all due respect to KSC, we face a very different challenge. Bochum will be a tough nut to crack but these are the challenges you want as a footballer. We're really looking forward to the game and we'll prepare as best we can."
Photo: Witters