Preview: VfL Bochum vs Sheffield United - prediction, team news, lineups

VfL Bochum and Sheffield United will round off their pre-season preparations on Saturday, when they meet at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion.

The two sides will each play their final friendly before kicking off their competitive seasons next week, with the hosts beginning in the 2.Bundesliga and the visitors entering the EFL Cup before the start of their Championship campaign.

Match preview

VfL Bochum will play their final friendly of pre-season on Saturday as they look to build momentum for the upcoming 2.Bundesliga term.

Their first season following relegation from the German top flight was a somewhat underwhelming one in 2025-26, as Uwe Rosler's side finished ninth on 44 points from their 34 matches, winning 11, drawing 11 and losing 12 of those.

After a creditable end to that campaign with two wins and two draws, they turned their focus to 2026-27 and begun preparations with friendlies against Oberhausen and Royal Antwerp, winning both, before drawing 1-1 against Ajax.

A meeting with Swansea City then followed, and the German side recorded another victory over three 30-minute thirds, as Alessandro Crimaldi and Berkan Taz scored in a 2-0 win, before falling to Werder Bremen in a 120-minute practice game last week.

Now with one game left to play before beginning their second-tier promotion bid against Hertha Berlin next Friday, VfL Bochum will hope to end with another win to make it four and a draw from five friendlies on Saturday.

Their visitors, meanwhile, will also hope to end pre-season with an unbeaten record as they gear up for a third consecutive Championship campaign.

The 2024-25 season saw Sheffield United come within touching distance of a return to the Premier League, eventually losing 2-1 in the Championship playoff final, but they were unable to pick up where they left off last time around.

Indeed, after a chaotic summer and start to the term, they turned back to manager Chris Wilder and eventually finished 13th, having spent more time around the bottom end of the division than challenging for the playoffs.

Seeking a major improvement and a return to competing for promotion, but with limited summer business thus far, the Blades have taken part in five friendlies, drawing against Chesterfield and beating Halifax Town, Levante and Huddersfield Town before Tahith Chong and Callum O'Hare scored in a 2-0 victory away at Rotherham United last weekend.

Now with the Championship campaign looming after an EFL Cup trip to Mansfield Town next week, and still looking to strengthen their group to mount a challenge in the second tier, Sheffield United will look to build more confidence with a win to close out pre-season.

VfL Bochum friendly form:

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Sheffield United friendly form:

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Team News

VfL Bochum head towards 2026-27 with a squad much different to the one that completed 2025-26, with key midfielder Cajetan Lenz having departed alongside Noah Loosli, Matus Bero, while loanees Francis Onyeka and Leandro Morgalla have not returned after being regulars last year.

Rosler has been able to bolster his ranks, though, with defenders Michael Steinwender, Karol Mets and Yigit Karademir joining alongside Berkan Taz, Enis Cokaj, Jean Manuel Mbom and attackers Babis Drakas and Christian Rasmussen.

They could field a full strength starting XI for the final friendly with their sights on the 2.Bundesliga with Philipp Hofmann likely to lead the attack after netting a team-high tally of 12 goals last time around.

Sheffield United could also be at full strength with Chris Wilder having one more opportunity to prepare his team for 2026-27.

Harrison Burrows and Tyrese Campbell both missed the last friendly but are in line to feature in Saturday's game, while Jamal Baptiste will continue to get the nod at the back alongside captain Japhet Tanganga.

Romelle Donovan has been a regular in pre-season since his loan arrival from Brentford and should continue on the right-hand side, with Callum O'Hare, Gustavo Hamer, Tom Cannon, Campbell and Patrick Bamford also competing for attacking spots.

VfL Bochum possible starting lineup:

Horn; Olsen, Steinwender, Mets, Wittek; Mbom, Cokaj; Rasmussen, Taz, Drakas; Hofmann

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Seriki, Tanganga, Baptiste, McCallum; Peck, Riedewald; Donovan, O'Hare, Cannon; Bamford

We say: VfL Bochum 1-2 Sheffield United

Saturday's friendly should be an intriguing one and more organised compared to early pre-season as both teams' seasons draw closer. We back the Blades' quality to shine through over German second-tier opposition and tip them to head into the season on the back of another win on the continent.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.