VfL Bochum 0-0 FC Koln: Strugglers Settle For A Share The Spoils

Fellow Bundesliga strugglers Vfl Bochum and FC Koln played out a scoreless draw at the Rewirpower Stadion, leaving both sides battling at the wrong end of the table.

Bochum were looking to follow on from their impressive win away to Hamburg last week had the chance to climb above their visitors in the table and into 13th place with a win but Heiko Herrlich's side failed to find the breakthrough, leaving them in third from bottom, a point above Stuttgart.

In a closely contested battle in front of just over 29,000 supporters Zvonimir Soldo's men started the brighter but Adil Chihi's free-kick failed to trouble Phillipp Heerwagen before Taner Yalcin's effort from just outside the box was hit straight at the 'keeper.

The Billy Goats proved marginally the better side over the 90 minutes and their best effort of the game fell to Slovenian striker Milivoje Novakovic but his free-kick from just outside the box was a fraction over Heerwagen's crossbar.

Both midfields cancelled each other out for much of the game, with the tie dominated by fouls and set pieces. Stanislav Sestak almost found an opening for the hosts midway through the second half but his close range effort was well saved by Faryd Mondragon.

Novakovic could have won it for the Cologne outfit in the dying minutes but frustratingly dragged his effort wide of Heerwagen's goal when it from the middle of the Bochum penalty box.

Neither side managed to create the gilt-edged opportunity which would have been enough to take the precious three points and a draw in the end was probably a fair result. A share of the spoils then as the struggle for survival continues after a fairly tepid encounter by the Ruhr.