Werkself share spoils in 2-2 draw with Hoffenheim

The reaction from the Werkself camp was clear. “We were definitely the better team so we can’t be happy with the result. We showed our potential but we should have scored more goals in the first half. It’s annoying not to have taken all three points today,” said Karim Bellarabi. Dominik Kohr shared that view: “It’s a blow ending the game at 2-2. We could have been 3-0 or 4-0 up by the break. We created great chances but couldn’t convert them.”

Long-term absentee Tin Jedvaj and the skipper Lars Bender, who was not fully fit for the game against TSG, were joined on the sidelines a late injury setback for the Werkself: Joel Pohjanpalo suffered a hip injury in the final pre-match training session on Friday and is expected to be out of action for four weeks. Stefan Kießling replaced the Finn in the matchday squad. André Ramalho replaced Aleksandar Dragovic on the bench. Head coach Heiko Herrlich made one change to the starting eleven from the Bundesliga opener in Munich. Leon Bailey was replaced by Julian Brandt with the 21-year-old Germany international clocking up his 100th Bundesliga appearance to take over the mantle of being the youngest Bayer 04 player to reach that milestone from Gonzalo Castro.

GREAT RECEPTION FROM THE FANS

In rather sultry weather conditions, the Werkself started with a 3-4-3 line-up that proved to be successful in the impressive second-half performance away to FC Bayern. The first real chance for Bayer 04 came after just seven minutes: Karim Bellarabi whipped in a cross from the right that Ermin Bicakcic was able to clear as Kevin Volland was about to shoot. Two minutes later, Bellarabi broke through into the box from the right, beat one opponent but he put his shot wide of the far post – that could have been the opening goal. 15 minutes into the game, Bellarabi fired in a shot from the edge of the box but his effort went wide of the upright again. The fans were then about to celebrate a goal: Admir Mehmedi played Sven Bender’s incisive pass back to Volland but his shot went wide of the target on 16 minutes. Another really good chance for the increasingly attacking and confident Werkself side that dominated the early stages of the game to the evident pleasure of the BayArena crowd.

However, the Werkself soon appeared to be more effective in front of goal. That was evident on 25 minutes when Charles Aránguiz won the ball to set up a Bayer 04 attack with four against two but the advantage in numbers failed to produce the strike that would have given the Werkself the lead. Immediately after that, Kohr had two shots blocked and a curled effort from Aránguiz went inches wide of the target on 26 minutes. Bayer 04 were setting the pace at the BayArena and the reward for their efforts soon followed: Brandt was fouled by Bicakcic in the Hoffenheim box and the referee Osmers correctly awarded a penalty. Wendell stepped up to convert the spot-kick via the inside of the post to give the Werkself a deserved lead on 32 minutes.

The justified joy of the fans was replaced by a collective expression of disbelief on 38 minutes when Kohr failed to put a cross from Volland into the net to make it 2-0. The Werkself missed an incredible number of gilt-edged goalscoring opportunities. Just before half-time, a Wendell volley flew two feet wide of the opposition net. Hoffenheim were fortunate to go into the break so narrowly behind – and the Werkself went into the dressing room to tremendous applause. “We can be absolutely delighted it was only 1-0,” said Hoffenheim’s CEO Hansi Flick after 45 extremely one-sided minutes with 10 shots goal to none in favour of Bayer 04.

Bellarabi's prompt RESPONSE

The second half began with a setback for the Werkself when Andrej Kramaric made it 1-1 with Hoffenheim’s first shot on goal on 47 minutes. The Werkself hit back straight away: Mehmedi, who also won lots of defensive challenges did well to put an excellent ball through to Bellarabi who hit a low shot on the turn into the far corner to restore the lead on 49 minutes. And Bayer 04 stuck to their task: Brandt curled a shot over the bar on 53 minutes and Bellarabi rounded off a quick counter-attack with a shot into the side netting just before the hour mark.

The fans were particularly impressed by the way the Bayer 04 players fought for each other with the forwards coming back to help out in defence. There was a real team on the pitch and that was clear evidence of Heiko Herrlich’s input as coach. That made the next blow even harder to accept when Hoffenheim levelled at 2-2 with a goal on the break from Mark Uth on 70 minutes. The striker scored with a shot that hit the underside of the bar after Benny Henrichs was knocked off balance by Uth and was unable to intervene. Bernd Leno stood no chance as with the first goal conceded. TSG proved to be brutally effective and were suddenly in the game. Bailey then came on for Brandt on 71 minutes. Herrlich then made a double substitution six minutes later: Ramalho and Kießling replaced Volland and Mehmedi.

The huge effort made by the Werkself saw the tempo drop in the closing stages as the game drifted towards the final whistle. There was no strength left to land a decisive punch. Despite the disappointment at the result, the fans applauded the team as they left the pitch in apreciation of an impressive display.

The international break this week means there no Bundesliga fixtures. Bayer 04 have arranged a friendly against second division VfL Bochum on Thursday 31 August at 15.00 CET at the Haberland Stadium. The next league game for the Werkself is away to FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday 9 September at 15.30 CET.

Match stats:

Bayer 04: Leno – Tah, S. Bender, Henrichs – Mehmedi (Kießling 77’), Kohr, Aránguiz, Wendell – Bellarabi, Volland (Ramalho 77’), Brandt (Bailey 71’)

TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann – Bicakcic, Vogt, Hübner – Toljan, Zuber (Kaderabek 57’) – Rupp (Demirbay 46’) – Kramaric, Amiri (Grillitsch 75’) – Uth, Wagner

Goals: 1-0 Wendell (pen. 32’), 1-1 Kramaric (47’), 2-1 Bellarabi (49’), 2-2 Uth (71’)

Booked: Wendell – Vogt, Bicakcic

Referee: Osmers (Hannover)

Attendance: 27,106