Stuttgart denied crucial win over Bochum by late Löwen penalty

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.

• Stuttgart hold the league's longest current winless run (D2, L6) and have not tasted victory since Matchday 15.
• VfB did, however, end their sequence of three successive home league defeats, avoiding what would have been a club record fourth loss at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
• It's now 23 games since Stuttgart last lost at home to Bochum in May 1987 (W16, D7).
• Bochum boss Thomas Reis played for the Stuttgart youths, and made his Bundesliga debut against Die Schwaben, for Eintracht Frankfurt.
• Reis' side have claimed just eight points away from home out of a possible 36 this season.
• It was Löwen's maiden strike in the Bundesliga this season and first professional penalty, giving him a 100 percent record from the spot as a pro.

Watch: Bundesliga survival the aim for Tiago Tomas and Stuttgart

Stuttgart: Müller - Stenzel, Mavropanos, Anton, Sosa - Karazor - Silas (Marmoush 20') (Ito 73'), Endo (c), Mangala (Förster 87'), Führich (Thommy 86') - Tomas
Unused subs: Bredlow, Kalajdzic, Kilmowicz, Ahamada, Beyaz
Out: Coulibaly (not included), Didavi (not included), Millot (not included), Nartey (knee), Sankoh (knee)
Coach: Pellegrino Matarazzo

Bochum: Riemann - Gamboa, Bella-Kotchap, Leitsch, Soares (Stafylidis 62') - Pantovic (Löwen 62'), Losilla (c), Osterhage - Antwi-Adjei, Locadia (Polter 62'), Holtmann (Asano 53')
Unused subs: Esser, Masovic, Bockhorn, Tesche, Bonga
Out: Rexhbecaj (suspended), Zoller (knee)
Coach: Thomas Reis