Match report | Thanks to Boadu’s hat trick: Bochum scores after 0:3 against Leipzig | VfL Bochum – RB Leipzig 3:3 | 18th matchday | Bundesliga 2024/25

Bochum’s coach Dieter Hecking made a lot of changes at the end of the English week. After the 1-0 win against St. Pauli there were four changes in the starting eleven: Oermann, de Wit, Boadu and Broschinski started for Masovic, Holtmann, Miyoshi and Hofmann (all bench).

RB coach Marco Rose was forced to make two changes after the 2-1 defeat in Stuttgart, as Openda and Sesko were out with a yellow-red suspension, while Baumgartner and Nusa started in place of the two attackers.

Leipzig scores three times in eleven minutes

Bochum started the game very well and was immediately in the duels. The first offensive highlight came from Leipzig: Orban’s cross from the left side fell into the far corner (10th). It looked like the defensive man wanted to cross. If that’s exactly how it was intended, then it was brilliant. RB was now fully there – and immediately followed up: Somehow the ball ended up in the penalty area at Nusa, who hit it flat on the bottom left (13th). Baumgartner’s offside position was checked in advance, but the technology in Cologne apparently didn’t work, which is why no lines could be drawn. From the available images it looked as if the offensive man’s heel was in the forbidden zone, but it couldn’t be definitively broken down.

Early in the game, Bochum faced a very difficult task. And things got even worse for the bottom of the table, who were off their game in this phase: Baumgartner put Raum’s cross from the left into the right corner to make it 3-0 (21′). With the clear lead behind them, the guests took it easy and the Revier team had more possession of the ball. The first and only good chance for the home team in the first half came after a corner, Gulacsi parried Ordets’ deflected header (32′). It stayed that way at the break and VfL went into the locker room with a clear deficit.

Flawless hat trick from Boadu

Hecking brought Holtmann on for Passlack in the second half. And the new man was right there! The fast winger grabbed a weak pass from Gulacsi, got up to speed and cut inside. In the middle, Boadu maneuvered the ball into the net in front of Vermeeren to make it 1-3 (48′). VfL had woken up – and suddenly it was only 2:3: With Bernardo’s high ball, the RB defense didn’t look good, Boadu switched quickly and scored a brace from close range (57th).

The Ruhrstadion was full – and a little later it was a madhouse: After a foul by Nusa against de Wit in the penalty area, there was a penalty, Boadu took the ball and completed the flawless hat trick. A little fact: Boadu scored the first hat-trick from Bochum since Stanislav Sestak. He scored on matchday 27 of 2008/09 in a 3-0 win in Hoffenheim.

There was no offensive attack from Leipzig for a long time, until the 68th minute, when Xavi put the ball just past the right. It went back and forth, Bochum wanted to turn the game around completely. Wittek’s corner from the right hit the crossbar, and de Wit’s following header was cleared just before the line (79′).

Towards the end of the game, Leipzig pressed a little more for victory; it was clear that Bochum’s comeback had cost them grains. But since Seiwald’s cross went just past the right (89′) and Poulsen narrowly missed a Xavi cross (90’+5), the score remained 3-3. While the guests have to question themselves, the Revier-Elf can see this point as a great success.

And what happens next? Bochum plays in Gladbach on Saturday (6.30 p.m.). Leipzig is challenged against Leverkusen three hours earlier in the day.