Overview

• VfL Bochum, currently 17th in the Bundesliga table, is in urgent need of points to escape relegation after five consecutive losses.
• Sunday’s match marks the first meeting between Bochum and Union Berlin since December’s controversial Hinspiel, which was disrupted when a lighter struck Bochum goalkeeper Patrick Drewes.
• The DFB Sportgericht and Bundesgericht awarded Bochum a 2–0 victory for the Hinspiel, a decision Union Berlin has appealed to the Ständige Schiedsgericht, with a final ruling expected next week.
• Local police have classified the match as high-risk, implementing enhanced security measures but stopping short of banning lighters at the stadium.
• Bochum coach Dieter Hecking has emphasized the team’s need to focus solely on securing victory, dismissing external distractions such as transfer rumors and the legal fallout from the Hinspiel.