Sports Mole provides a preview of Friday’s Bundesliga match between VfL Bochum and Borussia Dortmund, along with team news, lineup rumours, and predictions.

Nuri Sahin will be looking for his Borussia Dortmund team to upset VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga on Friday at Signal Iduna Park in order to avenge their well-earned loss the previous time out.

The visitors are now third last in 16th position with just one point from four games, while the hosts are eighth with seven points from four games after being utterly thrashed by Stuttgart in their league loss on September 22.

Match preview

Dortmund’s 2024–25 campaign came to an abrupt halt last time out when they were defeated by the Bundesliga runners-up from the previous season.

By the half, Stuttgart led 2-0 and had dominated the first forty-five minutes, creating four clear-cut opportunities, holding 60% of the ball, and putting six shots inside BVB’s penalty area.

Stuttgart’s Enzo Millot scored their third goal in the 62nd minute, and even though Serhou Guirassy pulled one back for Dortmund in the 75th, Dortmund would later give up two more goals to make for a dismal afternoon.

Sahin said he would not want to ever witness an outing like that again since he felt his side’s performance was so poor that it was a non-performance.

Dortmund has already conceded seven goals in their past two league games, placing Sahin’s squad five points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

BVB had won just one of their previous four league games at Signal Iduna Park, having lost two, drawn one, and triumphed in the last five Bundesliga home games with an overall record of 15-3.

After a 2-2 draw with Holstein Kiel on September 21, opponents Bochum secured their first point of the season heading into this match.

The fact that his team was able to snap a three-game losing streak in the league will have thrilled manager Peter Zeidler, but he will be frustrated that his team gave up an equaliser in the 89th minute after leading 2-1 at the half.

Zeidler’s squad had the fewest touches in the opponent box, the least amount of xG produced, and the most amount of xG conceded out of all 18 teams in the top tier.

In their last 16 Bundesliga games, including five consecutive losses, Bochum has won just twice, drawn three times, and lost eleven times.

It’s particularly troubling because the visitors’ away league record is so poor; in their last 37 travel games, they have only won four, drawn seven, and lost 26.

Giovanni Reyna and Felix Nmecha, who are both anticipated to be unavailable until early and late October, respectively, will undoubtedly be absent for the hosts.

The two defenders, Julian Ryerson and Ramy Bensebaini, are both suffering from illnesses, so they might miss Friday’s game as well. At the absolute least, the two should be available for Dortmund’s next game.

It would be amazing if Sahin decided to stick with the same starting lineup following their 5-1 loss to Stuttgart, so anticipate Pascal Gross to go into midfield in place of Emre Can.

The more natural midfielder might accompany Can in the middle of the pitch, since some have attacked Sahin’s choice to use Marcel Sabitzer on the right side of attack.

Until early October, Bochum will not be able to choose defender Bernardo, and Ivan Ordets is currently recovering from a shoulder injury, so he might not play on Friday.

After been substituted out the last game, Tim Oermann could start in place of centre-back Erhan Masovic.

Zeidler would be tempted to start an unchanged midfield with Dani de Wit, Ibrahima Sissoko, and Matus Bero if his team managed to draw with Holstein Kiel.

Kobel; Couto, Anton, Sule, Schlotterbeck; Sabitzer, Can; Adeyemi, Brandt, Gittens; Guirassy might be Borussia Dortmund’s starting lineup.

Draftes; Passlack, Medic, Oermann, Wittek; De Wit, Sissoko, Bero; Daschner; Boadu, Hofmann are possible starting lineups for VfL Bochum.

We say: Borussia Dortmund 3-0 VfL Bochum

Dortmund is unlikely to lose at home to Bochum, who are fighting for relegation, even though Stuttgart outplayed them.

It would also not be shocking if the hosts scored numerous goals, considering the visitors’ dismal road record and their worrisome defensive record.