In view of the energy-sapping second half of the match against Tottenham (0-0) earlier in the week and the forthcoming challenges in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup and the Champions League, Roger Schmidt rested Chicharito and Hakan Calhanoglu as well as Stefan Kießling with all three on the bench. They were replaced in the starting eleven by Julian Baumgartlinger, Julian Brandt and Kevin Volland.
Early dismissal proves decisive
Volland was ambitious to do well against his former club but his meeting with his former team-mates was over after just six minutes. From a Bayer 04 attack, Hoffenheim broke clear and the Leverkusen striker brought down the TSG player Karem Demirbay as the last man – referee Bastian Dankert showed Volland the red card for a professional foul. Demirbay hit the resulting free-kick against the outside of the post – sending a warning shot across the Werkself bows on eight minutes.
Schmidt's team were a man short for 85 minutes. And that had dire consequences. The visitors from Hoffenheim were lively and aggressive and the team coached by Julian Nagelsmann were quick to put the Werkself under pressure and they created chances. As on 15 minutes when the Hoffenheim players Pavel Kaderábek and Sandro Wagner combined on the left of the Werkself box to set up Demirbay who hit the ball into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 for the visitors.
The Werkself coped relatively well with the two early setbacks in the first ten minutes of the game. The Werkself fought their way back into the game with the usual work rate and desire. Charles Aránguiz and the lively Kevin Kampl prompted attack after attack. On 24 minutes, Aránguiz put Julian Brandt through in the box only for his shot to go just past the far post. Hoffenheim waited for the chance to play on the break but the Bayer 04 defence was able to cope with the threat. The two teams cancelled each other out with the scoreline remaining at 1-0 in favour the visitors at the half-time break.
Bitter blow at start of second half
The visitors made the better start to the second half. Just a few minutes after the restart Hoffenheim's Andrej Kramaric broke down the left flank and crossed to Wagner in the centre of the Bayer 04 box. He made no mistake from close range leaving Bernd Leno helpless and doubling the advantage for the visitors on 49 minutes. The annoying part was his marker Ömer Toprak slipped in the six-yard box was unable to intervene
It got even worse the Bayer 04: After an alleged foul on the touchline Schmidt and Nagelsmann had a coming together that resulted in the referee Dankert sending the Werkself coach to the stands. The result was put beyond doubt shortly after that. A cross from Wagner was cleared by Leno with his foot but the ball rebounded to Steven Zuber on the edge of the penalty area and he easily converted to make it 3-0 on the hour mark.
The match was done and dusted by the 62nd minute at the latest when the referee refused to give a foul on substitute Kießling after a challenge from Wagner. Hoffenheim created more chances but Leno made an excellent save on 68 minutes and Jonathan Tah made a brave intervention two minutes later to frustrate Demirbay. Game ended in a 3-0 win for TSG.
The fact Bender (46') and Toprak (56') had to be substituted rounded off an unhappy day from a Werkself perspective. However, the fans showed their support at the end of the match – that will be vital for the forthcoming challenges in the DFB Cup away to Sportfreunde Lotte on Tuesday night (18.30 CET) and at VFL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday (15.30 CET).
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Leno - Bender (Wendell 46’), Tah, Toprak (Chicharito 56’), Henrichs - Baumgartlinger, Aránguiz - Brandt, Kampl - Volland, Mehmedi (Kießling 57’).
TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann - Süle, Vogt, Hübner - Kaderabek, Zuber - Rudy (Polanski 58’) - Demirbay (Vargas 78’), Amiri - Wagner, Kramaric (Szalai 65’).
Goals:1-0 Demirbay (15’), 2-0 Wagner (49’), Zuber (60’).
Booked: Rudy.
Sent off:Volland (6’).
Referee: Bastian Dankert (Rostock).
Attendance:28,716
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