In a top thriller of first round of German Bundesliga, newly-promoted Bochum staged a "mission impossible" comeback as they equalized Moenchengladbach 3-3 on Sunday.

Bochum pulled off the impossible, defying the odds to cancel out a three goal half-time deficit by scoring three goals within 12 minutes and save a point in their first Bundesliga match of the season.

"This was a curious match," said Gladbach coach Michael Frontzeck.

"Sometimes these things happen in football. We missed the chance to make it 4-0 and then conceded three goals. We just have to live with the one point we got," he added.

Indeed it was the visitors who began the game far the more potent threat and deservedly took the lead on 19 minutes through Gladbach's new Venezuelan signing Juan Arango. Arango slotted home after combining well with Raul Bobadilla and striker Roberto Colautti.

Just seven minutes later Gladbach doubled their lead with a shot from Colautti himself. And four minutes before the interval, the visitors must have thought their side had all but sewn up the three points as Dutch defender Roel Brouwers made it 3-0.

The half-time whistle brought some welcome respite for the Bochum players, who had been completely outclassed by a rampant Borussia Monchengladbach side that was showing no signs of slowing up. However, whatever Marcel Koller said in the dressing room clearly worked wonders as Bochum re-emerged from the tunnel a completely different proposition.

Bochum battled back in the second half, however, scoring twice in just 48 seconds through Mimoun Azaouagh's identical long-range efforts shortly after the restart.

Borussia were reduced to 10 men when Bonfim Dante fouled a charging Stanislav Sestak on the hour and three minutes later Sestak headed in the equalizer to complete the comeback.

In another game of the day, powerhouse Hamburger SV failed to live up to expectations and was lucky to come away with a point after 1-1 draw away to Bundesliga newcomers Freiburg.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2009)