Key Takeaways
- Moritz-Broni Kwarteng scored late to earn VfL Bochum a 1-1 draw against Arminia Bielefeld
- The visitors ruined Bielefeld’s centenary celebrations at the Schüco Arena and reached the 40-point safety mark
- Bielefeld head coach Mitch Kniat received a red card and will miss the crucial next match against 1. FC Kaiserslautern
VfL Bochum took a major step towards securing their 2. Bundesliga status after a late equaliser spoiled Arminia Bielefeld’s 100-year stadium anniversary celebrations. Moritz-Broni Kwarteng struck ten minutes from time to rescue a point for Uwe Rösler’s side.
The hosts had looked set to win the match after Joel Grodowski converted from the penalty spot midway through the first half. Christopher Lenz brought down Robin Knoche inside the box to concede the spot-kick. The Bochum defender also picked up his tenth yellow card of the campaign, triggering an automatic one-match suspension for the clash against Hannover 96.
Grodowski calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to reach double figures for the season. Five of his ten goals have now come from twelve yards.
However, Bochum refused to accept defeat. With just ten minutes remaining on the clock, they launched a swift counter-attack. Kwarteng found space in the box and fired home his first goal of the campaign to level the scores.
The result moves Bochum onto 40 points. They could mathematically confirm their safety on Sunday if other results in matchday 32 go their way.
For Bielefeld, the misery continued after the final whistle. Head coach Mitch Kniat received a red card during the closing stages. He will now serve a touchline ban for next weekend’s vital fixture against Kaiserslautern.
The dropped points leave Bielefeld vulnerable in the table. Depending on results elsewhere, they could start their next match occupying the relegation playoff spot in 16th place.