The game resumed after the celebrations died down, with Frankfurt moving the ball around confidently. Bochum tried to respond, pushing more bodies forward in search of an equalizer, but the Frankfurt midfield trio held firm. Skhiri and Hojlund did the dirty work, breaking up play and slowing the tempo whenever Bochum built any kind of rhythm.
Lukas, meanwhile, drifted in and out of pockets between the lines, dictating the play whenever the ball found him. His quick turns and calm passes helped keep control, frustrating the home side's attempts to press.
"Frankfurt seem to be managing the game now," one of the commentators noted. "They're not forcing things, just keeping possession and killing the crowd's momentum after that opening goal."
There were a few half-chances toward the end of the half — a long-range strike from Bero that Trapp caught comfortably, and a header from Ekitike that went just wide — but nothing that truly threatened to change the scoreline.
