Bochum secured their spot in the Bundesliga with an incredible comeback against Fortuna Düsseldorf. Despite being three goals down from the first leg, Bochum managed to win the second leg 3-0 thanks to goals from Philipp Hofmann and a penalty converted by Kevin Stöger.
Hofmann, who had scored an own goal in the first leg, was motivated to create history and achieve something incredible with their comeback. The victory leveled the teams at 3-3 on aggregate, leading to extra time where Bochum’s defense made several goal-line clearances to hold off Düsseldorf’s attacks.
In the penalty shootout, Bochum’s goalkeeper Andreas Luthe saved Hoffmann’s first attempt for Düsseldorf, while Düsseldorf’s Kastenmeier also made a save. Stöger, who had assisted in Hofmann’s goals, scored in the shootout before Düsseldorf’s Uchino missed his spot kick, sealing Bochum’s promotion and ending Düsseldorf’s hopes of moving up to the top flight.
Bochum finished third from the bottom in the Bundesliga but will now secure their place in Germany’s top league for next season. On the other hand, Düsseldorf finished third in the second division but will have to wait another season before they can challenge for promotion once again.
