Borussia beaten 4-3 away at Hoffenheim | OneFootball

It was a cautious start from both teams in front of 26,078 spectators at the PreZero Arena in Sinsheim. From the halfway point of the first period however, the game exploded into life as both TSG Hoffenheim and Borussia created their first goalscoring chances. The lively and dangerous hosts then opened the scoring after half an hour. Their high press saw TSG win the ball on the edge of the Foals’ penalty area before quickly playing it through to Wout Weghorst, who netted to give his side a 36th-minute lead. The Foals didn’t let this deter them and levelled almost immediately. Robin Hack made it 1-1 in the 39th-minute after a brilliant flick from Alassane Plea.

The second half began with a much higher tempo than the first and the Foals had to withstand an extended period of pressure from the hosts. After Borussia had initially managed to repel a succession of big chances for TSG, Grischa Prömel put the hosts ahead again in the 58th minute. Ozan Kabak then made it 3-1 to the southwestern side just eight minutes later. The Foals kept going though, and cut the deficit to 3-2 in the 78th minute after Hack’s second. It was Hack again who equalised a minute from time, when, after a corner had initially been cleared, his attempted cross caught Baumann off guard and went all the way into the Hoffenheim goal. TSG were to have the last word though. In the first minute of injury time, the ball landed at the feet of Anton Stach in the penalty area, and he left Nicolas with no chance.

TEAM NEWS

The Foals made three changes to their starting eleven from the home game against BVB last time out: Moritz Nicolas and Rocco Reitz came into the side in place of the injured Jonas Omlin and Franck Honorat, whilst Robin Hack replaced Nathan Ngoumou in the starting eleven, with the Frenchman dropping to the bench. Consequently, Borussia started the game with the following side in Hoffenheim: Moritz Nicolas was between the sticks, whilst Nico Elvedi, Marvin Friedrich and Max Wöber made up the back three, with Stefan Lainer and Luca Netz taking their places on the flanks. Ko Itakura and Julian Weigl lined up in central midfield together once again, with Rocco Reitz, Robin Hack and Alassane Plea forming the front three.

Gerardo Seoane’s side had to do without goalkeeper Jonas Omlin in Sinsheim due to a thigh injury, whilst Jordan (thigh strain), Manu Koné (thigh strain), Tony Jantschke (adductor problems), Grant-Leon Ranos (ankle injury) and Franck Honorat (knee ligament strain) were all also absent due to injury. Chris Kramer was again unavailable because of illness. Nathan Ngoumou, who picked up an ankle ligament tear against Dortmund, recovered in time for the game and was named on the bench.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS

9’: The first big chance for the Foals. Netz pounces on a misplaced pass from the Hoffenheim defence and plays it to Hack, who advances into the penalty area and aims for the far corner. TSG goalkeeper Baumann gets down quickly though and smothers the ball.

25’: A clever corner routine almost leads to the opening goal. Netz plays it short to Hack, who crosses into Weigl in the centre. The captain’s effort can’t quite trouble Baumann enough though, and the goalkeeper saves.

32’: A bit of luck for Borussia. Prömel’s cross is headed onto the post by Beier.

33’: At the other end, Plea shoots from the edge of the box after a solo run, but it goes just wide of the far post.

36’: Hoffenheim take the lead. The hosts press high and force the Foals into giving the ball away. It then quickly arrives at the feet of Weghorst via Grillitsch and Kramaric, and the former is through on goal to put his side 1-0 up.

39’: The Foals win the ball back well. Plea then plays a superb pass to Hack, who powers forward and slots into the corner to make it 1-1.

45’: Weghorst backheels the ball to Kramaric, who lets fly from around 20 yards. Nicolas reacts brilliantly though to tip it past the post.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS

50’: A double chance for Hoffenheim. Weghorst firstly hits the woodwork from close range, before Kramaric is denied by Nicolas on the follow-up.

58’: Skov plays the ball to Prömel, who curls it into the top corner for 2-1.

66’: Weghorst finds Kabak, who advances forward and strikes to leave Nicolas with no chance, and it’s 3-1.

78’: Scally crosses from the right and finds Hack free in the middle, and he nods home to make it 3-2.

89’: A hat-trick for Hack! A Foals corner is cleared but arrives back at the feet of Hack, who catches Baumann off guard when his (presumably) attempted cross goes all the way in for 3-3.

90+1’: Hoffenheim hit back again! Stach is free in the Foals’ penalty area, and he calmly puts his side in the lead once more.

STATISTICS

Hoffenheim: Baumann, Kabak (Brooks 71’), Grillitsch, Drexler, Kaderabek, Tohumcu, Skov (Jurasek 90+4’), Prömel (Stach 83’), Kramaric (Becker 83’), Beier (. Bebou 83’), Weghorst // Unused substitutes: Philipp, Akpoguma, Conté, Bülter

Borussia: Nicolas, Elvedi, Friedrich (Ngoumou 69’), Wöber, Lainer (Scally 69’), Netz (Ullrich 90+2’), Weigl, Itakura (Fukuda 90+2’), Reitz (Čvančara 69’), Hack, Plea // Unused substitutes: Olschowsky, Chiarodia, Herrmann, Neuhaus

Goals: 1-0 Weghorst (36’), 1-1 Hack (39’), 2-1 Prömel (58’), 3-1 Kabak (66’), 3-2 Hack (78’), 3-3 Hack (89’), 4-3 Stach (90+1’)

Yellow cards: Kabak / Itakura, Weigl, Čvančara

Attendance: 26,078

Referee: Sören Storks