Japan forward Takuma Asano came off the bench to help Bochum secure survival in the German Bundesliga top tier Monday after they edged Fortuna Dusseldorf 6-5 on penalties following a 3-3 draw on aggregate in promotion/relegation playoffs.
Having finished 16th in the 18-team top tier to end up in the playoffs, Bochum lost the first leg on Thursday 3-0 at home against a Dusseldorf side who came third in the second division, before mounting a miraculous comeback in the second leg.
Philipp Hoffman headed home in the 18th and 66th minutes before Kevin Stoger scored a penalty in the 70th minute to level. No more goals through extra time saw the match go to penalties, with Asano burying his shot from the spot as Bochum's fourth shootout taker.
Dusseldorf, who had Japan midfielder Ao Tanaka come off in the 75th minute, had their hopes dashed when substitute defender and Japanese Paris Olympic hopeful Takashi Uchino fired over the bar as their seventh taker.
"We didn't feel like losing," said 29-year-old Asano, who has been with Bochum since 2021 and is leaning toward leaving the club when his contract expires this summer.
"There's a possibility to stay at Bochum, but I have the thought of taking the next step. I want to go to a team where I can develop."
