Lots of control with little to show for it – why this SV Elversberg 1:1 tells a story
SV Elversberg have again failed to defeat VfL Bochum in the new year. Vincent Wagner’s team dominated the first half in particular of this 1:1 in URSAPHARM Arena on Kaiserlinde, creating numerous opportunities but still letting crucial moments slip away. The result has cost them their spot in the table – but does not provide a full picture of the team’s performance, path and development.
Some matches are easier to understand with a bit of distance: matches where ball possession, control of play, and opportunity ratio provide a clear picture – but one that does not match the actual result. This 1:1 for SV Elversberg against VfL Bochum is just one such match. SVE were clearly the better team for large periods and were especially dominant, bold and structured before half time. However, Saarland ultimately came away with just a single point, knocking them out of the top three in the table for the first time since September.
It all began exactly as Vincent Wagner had hoped. The manager made three changes to his starting eleven after their 2:3 in Nuremberg: Bambasé Conté took up position behind the front, Nicholas Mickelson replaced Lasse Günther (out with a muscle injury) on the left flank, and Jan Gyamerah lined up against his former club on the right back. It was clear even from the first few minutes that Elversberg wanted to take control of the game. The home team controlled the ball and space, accumulated set pieces early on, and continually filled their opponent’s penalty area with numerous players.
Bochum, on the other hand, struggled to gain an attacking foothold. In minus temperatures and against the backdrop of a Kaiserlinde under construction, the first few minutes saw the away team forced to continually defend. Elversberg had significantly more ball control, more activity in the end third and a greater presence in the penalty box. Only one thing was missing: a goal. A free kick by Lukas Petkov forced Timo Horn to make an early save and other shots on goal were blocked or narrowly missed the mark. It felt like SVE wanted to carry the ball into the goal – they were too patient and not uncompromising enough.
And then the opposing team scored. In the 24th minute, Maximilian Rohr accidentally deflected a cross, then Mats Pannewig picked up the ball at the far post, left his opponents behind and scored from seven metres away to put the score at 1:0. It was Bochum’s first shot on target – and a goal that would turn the course of the match upside down.
Elversberg did not let this put them off their stride. In fact, quite the reverse – their response was almost immediate. New arrival David Mokwa had the biggest opportunity to equalise from close range, but was foiled by Horn’s strong reactions. This marked the start of a period where SVE almost entirely controlled play. Lukasz Poreba hit the crossbar from around 18 metres out, and shortly after a powerful shot by Bambasé Conté also bounced off the goalposts. Bochum were essentially entirely defending during this period, with Elversberg firing shot after shot – but without any reward.
‘My team did extremely well in the first half, then we weren’t quite sharp enough after one set piece and we were 0:1 behind’, Wagner later said. ‘But we did not let that put us off our stride and we continued to push. That was probably the best first half in our last five matches, but football is ultimately all about the final score.’
That was probably the best first half in our last five matches, but football is ultimately all about the final score.
Vincent Wagner
Bochum manager Uwe Rösler also noted the clear balance of power before half time. ‘The first half was the hardest half we have had since I came to Bochum’, the VfL manager said – adding: ‘Elversberg were fantastic, they are the best team we have played since I have been back in Germany.’ His team barely managed to gain any possession of the ball, ‘our courage deserted us’, Rösler explained. Bochum were very fortunate to be in the lead despite all of this – helped along by two shots saved by the goalposts on VfL’s behalf.
Initially, the fundamental shape of the game remained the same after the change of ends. Elversberg kept control of play and continually put Bochum under pressure – and this time, were rewarded for their efforts. Mickelson fired a cross from the left in the 53rd minute, and Horn punched the ball away but it landed right at the feet of Lukas Petkov, who quickly picked it up and hammered it over the line. The equaliser was long overdue – and could have been the start of more. ‘We were almost despairing in the first half. With a bit more luck, we would have won’, Petkov said.
However, the match took a different direction. After equalising, Elversberg lost a little of the clarity that had marked their first-half play. Bochum adjusted, closed down the wings more effectively, and were able to relieve the pressure at points. A bad pass by Lukas Pinckert left Felix Passlack alone in front of the goal, but Nicolas Kristof kept the team from falling behind again. It was a moment that highlighted how narrow the margins had become.
‘We had a little more trouble in the second half as our situations lacked clarity’, was Wagner’s analysis. ‘We also lost some of our oomph after we equalised.’ Elversberg continued to push and regained more ball possession during the final stages, but were unable to replicate the same pressure from the first half. The home team defended strongly, threw themselves into tackles and continued to needle even in stoppage time.
We had a little more trouble in the second half as our situations lacked clarity
Vincent Wagner
Rösler openly noted how valuable this point was to Bochum, saying that half-time helped them to adjust and tighten up the flanks. ‘We still had some opportunities to score after counter-attacks at the end, even if we perhaps might not have deserved to win overall’, the 57-year-old said. ‘I don’t think that many teams would have gained points here, so we can be very happy with our point in this situation.’
Elversberg mostly remained ambivalent about the afternoon. On the one hand, they only came away with a single point, which cost them their table position in the tight battle for promotion. But on the other, their performance – especially in the first half – clearly proved how solid and dominant this team can now be. SVE are still unbeaten at home but have not yet chalked up a win this year. Ultimately, this was a match where the result said less than the course of play. Elversberg set the pace and space for long periods, created numerous opportunities, but lacked the necessary consistency. Bochum took advantage of a single moment, then defended hard and took home a point that was more valuable to them than to the home team. In Vincent Wagner’s view, despite the lack of a win, the key point was not the score but rather the performance of his team, where he sees no cause for concern. The task ahead is to more consistently translate control and dominance of play into results – and with it, their first win of the year. This weekend against on Betzenberg against 1. FC Kaiserslautern provides the next opportunity.