Fifth game under Pellegrino Matarazzo, fifth defeat: TSG Hoffenheim fell to the bottom of the table after losing 2-1 in Freiburg.
In the wild final minutes, Pellegrino Matarazzo kept whipping his team forward, gesticulating, shouting and clapping – but it didn’t help. TSG Hoffenheim also suffered a defeat in the fifth game under the new coach, after the bitter 1: 2 (0: 1) at SC Freiburg, the Kraichgau team fell to the bottom of the table. For the first time in more than seven years, TSG brings up the rear at the end of a match day.
Hoffenheim had convinced deep into the final phase and demanded everything from Freiburg. But after Ozan Kabak (84′) was sent off, who shot the ball away after a foul and saw yellow-red for it, Ritsu Doan (89′) scored for Freiburg and dealt TSG the next low blow. While the SC remains in the top group with 45 points and can dream of the Champions League, Hoffenheim’s situation in the table basement is becoming increasingly bleak.
“The game was good, we have to keep our heads up. But we can’t end the game with ten players,” said Oliver Baumann DAZN: “I felt like it was our turn.” The TSG goalkeeper described the sending off against Kabak as “a sticking point. We have to take a point here.”
Maximilian Eggestein (5th) gave the efficient Freiburg team the lead in front of 33,500 spectators in the Europa-Park stadium. After the equalizer by Angelo Stiller (48th), it looked like Matarazzo would win the first point for a long time, but Doan still ensured Freiburg’s 13th win of the season – and a successful dress rehearsal for the second leg in the Europa League round of 16 against Juventus Torino on Thursday.
“We’re happy after the tough week, Hoffenheim have done better in the past few games than their position in the table says,” said Eggestein. Manuel Gulde also emphasized: “We knew it was going to be tough, that Hoffenheim was fighting for survival.”
TSG Hoffenheim: dismissal against Kabak
Matarazzo changed his starting XI to six positions compared to the 0-1 draw against Mainz. The newly formed team started boldly, pressed early and after ten seconds Ihlas Bebou (1st) scored the first goal. Even after that, the guests kept up well, but effective Freiburg hit ice cold.
A cross that was not consistently clarified landed in front of Eggestein’s feet, who scored to make it 1-0. After that, a tough encounter developed. TSG made an effort, but was too imprecise in their forward game. That changed after the break when Stiller immediately scored the equalizer.
From then on the game was open and there were chances for both sides before things got hectic in the closing stages. Doan scored after Kabak was sent off and Fisnik Asllani missed a great opportunity to equalize in added time.
