Fortuna Düsseldorf 0-3 Bochum (3-3 on aggregate; Bochum win 6-5 on penalties)
Goals: 0-1 Hofmann 18' (assist: Stöger), 0-2 Hofmann 66' (assist: Stöger), 0-3 Stöger (pen. 70')

Buoyed by the security of their 3-0 win in the first leg last week, Düsseldorf began confidently and sent out a statement of their intent inside the first minute when Ao Tanaka’s deflected effort from just outside the penalty box went narrowly wide. Undeterred and with no time to lose, Bochum gradually seized the initiative as they sought a way back into the tie and Kevin Stöger soon had a long-range shot himself, his drive whistling just off target. The Austrian was involved again when Bochum took the lead, his teasing delivery from a deep free-kick headed in from close range by Philipp Hofmann. The visitors remained on the front foot – even if their attacks were punctuated by frequent forward bursts on the counter by Düsseldorf – and Lukas Daschner almost reduced the deficit further on the stroke of half-time with a looping effort that just went the wrong side of the post.

The match followed the same pattern after the break and Fortuna needed a superb last-ditch lunge from Tim Oberdorf to thwart Daschner from close range, denying what looked certain to be Bochum’s second goal of the night. The away side did not have to wait long to change all that, however, with the complexion of the game changing completely over a four-minute spell. First, Stöger fizzed an inviting cross from the right into the box for Hofmann to head in his second of the game, leaving Bochum needing just one more goal to level the tie on aggregate. They found it moments later when Stöger converted from the penalty spot after a handball decision against Matthias Zimmermann. They very nearly completed the turnaround seconds after that when substitute Takuma Asano’s header drew a brilliant diving save from Florian Kastenmeier.

Asano was in the thick of the action again as the final whistle approached, only narrowly missing Patrick Osterhage’s ball across the six-yard box. That took the match to extra-time, where Bochum needed two dramatic goal-line clearances in the second half to stay afloat, before they eventually edged the tie in the most dramatic of fashions on penalties, with Takashi Uchino missing the decisive spot-kick after seven attempts each.

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Highlights

Bochum stay up after play-off drama!

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