Rot-Weiss Oberhausen 2–3 VfL Bochum 1848: International Club Friendly
4 July 2026, 21:30

VfL Bochum ended their pre‑season tour with a hard‑fought 3–2 victory over Rot‑Weiss Oberhausen on Saturday evening. The Bundesliga side showed superior composure in front of goal, but Oberhausen, playing in the Regionalliga West, pushed them all the way in an entertaining friendly that saw five goals and plenty of end‑to‑end action.

Match Overview

Bochum opened the scoring inside ten minutes through a well‑struck strike from outside the box, but Oberhausen hit back twice before half‑time to take a surprise 2‑1 lead. The visitors improved after the break, equalising from a penalty before grabbing the winner with a header from a cross in the 73rd minute. Both managers used the opportunity to rotate heavily, with several academy players given minutes.

Key Moments

• 9′ – Bochum go ahead: a low drive from 20 yards beats the home goalkeeper’s dive.
• 28′ – Oberhausen equalise from a quick counter‑attack, finishing with a neat chip.
• 39′ – Oberhausen stun the visitors with a powerful header from a corner to lead 2‑1.
• 57′ – Bochum level from the penalty spot after a handball in the area.
• 73′ – Bochum’s substitute forward rises high to head in a cross and make it 3‑2.

Pre‑Season Context

This friendly formed part of Bochum’s pre‑season schedule ahead of the 2026‑27 Bundesliga campaign. Head coach Dieter Hecking will have been pleased with the fightback, though defensive frailties remain a concern. For Oberhausen, the performance against higher‑level opposition bodes well ahead of the new Regionalliga season, where they will aim for promotion to the 3. Liga. The match at the Niederrheinstadion attracted a crowd of around 4,500.