TSG Hoffenheim is finally targeting the Champions League. The Kraichgauer won 2: 1 (1: 1) in the top duel in Baden at SC Freiburg and consolidated their position in the top group with their fourth win in a row.
David Raum (3rd) and Chris Richards (90th + 4) scored for the Hoffenheim team (26 points), who overtook the Freiburg team (25 points) with their victory. Successful SC coach Christian Streich has to wait a little longer for his 100th Bundesliga victory.
This was also due to the fact that Vincenzo Grifo could not use a penalty (62.). Nico Schlotterbeck (21st) scored for Freiburg.
The 750 allowed spectators in the Freiburg arena saw an unusually large number of mistakes by the hosts in the initial phase. Raum used a weak defensive behavior by full-back Lukas Kübler to give Hoffenheim the lead after just 133 seconds. TSG star Andrej Kramaric provided the template for the national player’s first Bundesliga goal in his 200th competitive game for the Kraichgauer.
The Hoffenheim team, who were missing Ermin Bicakcic, Jacob Bruun Larsen, Dennis Geiger, Florian Grillitsch, Marco John and Robert Skov, also determined what happened after the lead. The guests impressed with their no-frills style of play.
Freiburg, who had a big exclamation mark last Sunday with their big win at Borussia Mönchengladbach (6-0), were still well served with the narrow gap after 20 minutes – also because the SC was lucky in controversial referee decisions.
Then, however, the best standard team in the league struck. After a corner from the former Hoffenheimer Grifo, Schlotterbeck hit his head. It was the 14th Freiburg goal after a ball at rest.
Shortly after the equalizer, the Streich-Elf, who had to do without Jonathan Schmid and Yannik Keitel, almost took the lead. Kevin Schade failed because of the former Freiburg goalkeeper Oliver Baumann (25th).
Until the break, the Freiburg team, whose captain Christian Günter played his 250th Bundesliga game, was the slightly better team. The draw after the first half was okay.
Not much happened at the beginning of the second run. Then Günter would be fouled by Kevin Akpoguma. Grifo failed from the point on Baumann.
In the 73rd minute, Schlotterbeck, who had been strong up until then, had to leave the field injured. In the minutes that followed, TSG were very close to the second goal and rewarded themselves in the end.
