2. BL: Clinical first half gets Bochum over the line in Fürth

VfL Bochum ran out comfortable winners at the Sportpark Ronhof on Saturday afternoon.

A ruthless opening 20 minutes put the game to bed before Fürth had time to settle. An Ibrahima Sissoko brace and a crisp Philipp Hofmann finish sealed a 3-0 victory and all three points for Uwe Rösler’s side in a blistering spell that defined the match.

The visitors wasted no time punishing a fragile Fürth, taking the lead inside nine minutes when Sissoko drifted unmarked into the box to convert a teasing Maximilian Wittek free kick. Four minutes later their dream start continued. Another dangerous Wittek delivery caused chaos from a corner, Pascal Strompf flicked the ball across the face of goal, and Sissoko was on hand again to tuck away his second and double the advantage.

Bochum weren’t finished there. Just four minutes after that, they had Fürth reeling once more. Francis Onyeka picked out Hofmann inside the area, and the striker set himself before lashing a powerful left-footed shot in just below the crossbar to make it 3-0. Fürth were visibly stunned and offered next to nothing for the remainder of the half, while the visitors calmly controlled proceedings.

Chasing what would have been their first comeback from three goals down since 2000, Fürth improved marginally after the break but remained second best in all key moments. Even with Bochum easing off and managing the game sensibly, the hosts struggled to threaten. They saw more of the ball but lacked any cutting edge, much to the frustration of Thomas Kleine and the home supporters, and limped to a flat 3-0 defeat.

It marks another worrying result for Fürth, who have now won just one of their last eight league games and sit 16th. Bochum, meanwhile, continue their upward trajectory under Rösler, moving up to 11th as they put further distance between themselves and the relegation fight.