VfB Stuttgart 1-1 Bochum
Goals: 1-0 Bella Kotchap o.g. 56', 1-1 Löwen pen. 94'

Their stunning win at home to champions Bayern Munich last weekend meant Bochum went into Matchday 23 in fine fettle and 10 points clear of Stuttgart in second bottom. And the visitors should have been in front after just eight minutes, but Milos Pantovic somehow clipped the ball over the bar from two yards out. Pantovic went off for treatment after catching a stray boot to his face shortly after, but soon returned to the field. Stuttgart had an even more worrying injury concern of their own after just 20 minutes as Silas was forced off and replaced by Omar Marmoush. Pantovic cleared the crossbar and Marmoush fired wide after that, but neither goalkeeper was called into action of any great significance as the first half wound up with the scores still level.

Stuttgart started the brightest after the break and Marmoush almost broke the deadlock in stunning fashion, but his effort from outside the box swerved just wide of the upright. At the other end, Takuma Asano also flashed wide on his left foot, before Marmoush was denied by the face of returning Bochum stopper Manuel Riemann. The hosts finally found the breakthrough from the resulting corner, as Orel Mangala's near-post header was turned into his own net by the unfortunate Armel Bella-Kotchap. Mangala should have wrapped up victory in the final 15 minutes, but could only fire straight at Reimann when one-on-one and eight yards out. Stuttgart looked to be holding on for a vital victory in the relegation battle until Löwen cooly converted from 12 yards in the dying moments, after Sebastian Polter was felled in the box by Konstantinos Mavropanos.

VFB Stuttgart VfB Stuttgart - BOC Bochum VfL Bochum 1848

Stuttgart denied crucial win over Bochum by late Löwen penalty