Preview: VfL Bochum vs. Hertha Berlin - prediction, team news, lineups

The sides are separated by just a point, as both are staring down the barrel of a tough relegation battle.

Match preview

Crushing defeats to Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg aside, it was a rather fruitful few weeks for Bochum before the World Cup break.

They won their other four games in that period, including back-to-back wins just before the league's hiatus.

Three consecutive home wins will also give them the belief they need here, and if they can make it a fourth on the spin, then it will be their best home winning streak in the top flight for 26 years.

The break was not ideally timed for Thomas Letsch's side, but they will need to pick up where they left off as they still occupy one of the two automatic relegation spots, just one point from safety, though.

Bringing in Keven Schlotterbeck on loan from Freiburg could help them sort out their defensive issues as they did have the leakiest defence in the division before the break, conceding 36 goals.

Bochum's opponents are the side that sit just above the dotted line, Hertha Berlin, who occupy 15th.

The club from the capital have won just three times all season, so another relegation battle looks likely after last season's close escape in the relegation playoff against Hamburg.

The last time they won so few games at this stage of a Bundesliga season, they were relegated in 2009-10, after winning just one of their opening 15 matches.

They can take some optimism from the fact they beat Koln in their last league outing, and have won on five of their last seven trips to Bochum.

They have added Florian Niederlechner from Augsburg to try to provide some extra firepower up front, as Wilfried Kanga has not reproduced the form he showed in Switzerland and Stevan Jovetic continues to be injury prone.

VfL Bochum Bundesliga form:

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VfL Bochum form (all competitions):

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Hertha Berlin Bundesliga form:

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Team News

Bochum named the second-oldest starting XI in Bundesliga history in their last match versus Augsburg, as the average age of the side was 31.4.

They could welcome back Jacek Goralski from a muscular injury after he missed out on Poland's World Cup squad, as well as Dominique Heintz, who has only featured four times since joining on loan from Union Berlin at the start of the season.

Pierre Kunde could make his debut after arriving from Olympiacos earlier in the month.

There has been a mini clear out at Hertha as Davie Selke, Vladimir Darida and Lee Dong-Jun have all left the club already this month.

New signing Niederlechner is a doubt having arrived at the club injured so they may be short of options in attack.

Star man Dodi Lukebakio is suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season before the break, and his goal threat will be a huge miss as he has scored eight in 16 matches this season.

Marvin Plattenhardt will also miss out at left-back with a groin injury, so Maximilian Mittelstadt should deputise for him.

VfL Bochum possible starting lineup:

Riemann; Gamboa, Lampropoulos, Ordets, Danilo; Stoger, Losilla, Kunde; Asano, Hofmann, Antwi-Adjei

Hertha Berlin possible starting lineup:

Christensen; Kenny, Rogel, Kempf; Mittelstadt; Richter, Tousart, Serdar, Boetius; Kanga, Niederlechner

We say: VfL Bochum 2-1 Hertha Berlin

Bochum came into some great form as the season halted in November, and on home turf they have proven tough to beat.

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