Bochum vs Borussia Dortmund

Mid-table Bochum and second-placed Borussia Dortmund are set to exchange tackles at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion in their first Bundesliga clash since March 2010.

It’s been a pretty straightforward season for Bochum so far, with just one of their 14 Bundesliga matches ending as a draw (W6, D1, L7). Since a scoreless stalemate with Stuttgart at home in late September, none of Bochum’s last eight league games have ended level (W5, L3), with 62.5% of those results (win/loss) yielding a single-goal margin. Coming into this matchday, the hosts have won back-to-back league fixtures and could make it three top-flight triumphs in a row for the first time since November 2007. That might be easier said than done, though, as they’ve lost each of their last three Bundesliga meetings with Dortmund, as many defeats as they had in their previous nine top-flight H2Hs combined (W2, L4). With just two of Bochum’s six home league games this season producing over 2.5 goals, this could be a low-scoring fixture.

In the meantime, Borussia Dortmund brushed Besiktas aside with an overwhelming 5-0 win in midweek Champions League action to bounce back from a 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich last time out. ‘Die Borussen’ head into proceedings as the only Bundesliga side yet to draw a single league game this season (W10, L4). Worryingly, though, three of their four top-flight losses have come away from home, where they’ve alternated between winning and losing in their six Bundesliga contests so far (W3, L3). Though only top-placed Bayern (45) have scored more Bundesliga goals than BVB (35) this term, only 34.29% (12) of those strikes have come on hostile turf. Dortmund’s attacking football on the road usually sparks into life after half-time, with eight of their 12 away league goals scored thus far coming in the second half of play.