Bochum before the next away game: This is how VfL stands after 31 matches

Three matchdays before the end of the season, VfL Bochum enters the final sprint of the 2. Bundesliga from a stable position. After 31 games, they have 39 points, are in 10th place, and have a goal difference of +1 (45:44 goals). The record:

• ten wins
• nine draws
• twelve losses

This puts Bochum in the secure midfield – without immediate pressure, but also with a noticeable distance to the top spots.

Midfield instead of promotion battle – the table sets the framework

A look at the direct neighbors shows how tight the table is in this area: Karlsruher SC is just ahead of Bochum in 9th place with 40 points, Holstein Kiel is right behind in 11th with 38 points. The gap upwards is much larger: Hannover 96 is in 3rd place with 57 points after 31 games. In this constellation, the final sprint for Bochum is mainly about determining their position: Can the team solidify its place in the upper midfield – or will it slip into the pack behind in the last weeks?

Form curve: Home wins provide stability, recent setbacks away

The most recent five league games show a pattern that describes Bochum's phase of the season well: two wins, three losses – both victories at home. Most recently, VfL won 2:1 at home against SpVgg Greuther Fürth on April 26. Before that, there was a 4:1 against Eintracht Braunschweig, while the away games in Dresden (0:2) and Magdeburg (1:4) were lost. The 2:3 at home against Holstein Kiel also fits this picture: games with decent offensive output, but with moments when the team remains too vulnerable.

With 45 goals, Bochum has proven that it can find offensive solutions. At the same time, 44 goals conceded and several phases with multiple goals against in individual games show how quickly matches can turn if the balance is not right. In the tight midfield, even a short phase of weakness is often enough to turn a controlled game into an open exchange of blows.

Striking results – and what they say about the range

The most notable results of the season include the 4:1 against Braunschweig as the highest home win and the 3:0 at Greuther Fürth as the highest away win. The highest-scoring game was a 3:3 against Darmstadt 98. In total, these games reflect the range: Bochum can clearly see games through – but in some matches also allows opponents to work their way back in.

The last three tasks: Bielefeld, Hannover, Karlsruhe

Next, Bochum will play on the following dates:

• Saturday, May 2, 2026, 1:00 p.m. – away at Arminia Bielefeld (DSC 13th place)
• Sunday, May 9, 2026, 1:00 p.m. – home game against Hannover 96
• Sunday, May 17, 2026, 3:30 p.m. – away match at Karlsruher SC

The mix of opponents makes the final sprint athletically meaningful: Bielefeld as a team from the lower midfield, Hannover as a top team, and Karlsruhe as a direct table neighbor. For Bochum, it's less about calculations and more about whether the recently missing consistency, especially in away games, can be stabilized – and whether the team can end the season with a clear upward trend.