Following the hard-earned 2-1 win away to FC Nürnberg, the coach rotated in three positions. The recovered Lilla Turányi and Sylwia Matysik plus Loreen Bender came into the side in place of Melissa Friedrich (ankle injury), Selina Ostermeier and Verena Wieder.
The visitors took the lead on 42 seconds before everyone was sorted out on the pitch. A mistake in build-up play was followed by a quick counter-attack by TSG. Jill Janssens crossed the ball into the box for Memeti whose close-range finish left Friederike Repohl helpless. The Bayer 04 Women produced an energetic response. Synne Skinnes Hansen set up Nikola Karczewska but her shot from the right of the target was saved by the keeper Martina Tufeković. Five minutes later, the Norwegian winger Skinnes Hansen whipped in a cross but Tufeković was able to deny the Werkself again.
Memeti tried her luck again on the quarter-hour mark with a long-range effort but Repohl turned the shot away (15'). Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir had a shot from a tight angle at the other end two minutes later but the ball ended up two metres wide of the target. There was a greater threat shortly after that from a free kick taken by Vilhjálmsdóttir. TSG player Franziska Harsch cleared the ball onto the top of her own goal. However, Hoffenheim constantly tested the Bayer 04 Women's team defence. Matysik thwarted a quick counter-attack by blocking a TSG shot (36'). The counter-attack brought the equaliser. Bender played a delightful through ball to Karczewska who did not hesitate to fire the ball into the net (38'). The two sides went into half-time level at 1-1.
The second half started with neither side producing any noteworthy attacking moves. Both teams pressed high and often succeeded in disrupting the opposition build-ups. Repohl had no problem keeping out a long-range shot from Lisanne Kaut. The Bayer 04 Women frustrated almost all of the effective attack from the quick TSG forwards but, at the other end, the final pass for a decent chance was often missing in counter-attacks.
De Pauw made two substitutions on 65 minutes: Ostermeier and Estrella Merino Gonzalez came on in place of Matysik and Bender. TSG also made three changes with substitute Mara Alba immediately testing Repohl with a powerful effort and Gia Corley hit the rebound wide of the target (72').
The next substitution for the Black and Reds saw Cecilie Johansen replace Synne Skinnes Hansen (73’) - and shortly after that, the visitors regained the lead from a set-piece. Fabienne Dongus rose highest to meet a free kick taken by Alber and her header found the back of the net (75.). The hosts endeavoured to provide a response but Hoffenheim gave little away. The final minutes saw Wieder come on (for Elisa Senß) on 85 minutes to force the equaliser – but the final scoreline was 2-1 for TSG.
The Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga now takes a three-week break due to forthcoming international fixtures. The Bayer 04 Women do have a match in the DFB-Pokal coming up. The Werkself face Bundesliga rivals SGS Essen in the quarter-finals on Tuesday 5 March (kick-off: 18.30 CET). League action returns on Sunday 10 March (kick-off: 14.00 CET) with the game against SC Freiburg.
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Repohl - Matysik (Ostermeier 65’), Bragstad, Turányi - Skinnes Hansen (Johansen 73’), Senß (Wieder 85’), Zdebel, Kögel - Vilhjálmsdóttir, Bender (Merino Gonzalez 65’) - Karczewska
TSG Hoffenheim: Tufeković - Linder, Cazalla, Specht, Kaut (Krumbiegel 66’) - Harsch, Dongus (Diem 88’), Corley - Janssens (Alber 70’), Billa (Kössler 70’), Memeti (Leimenstoll 88’)
Goals: 0-1 Memeti (1’), 1-1 Karczewska (38’), 1-2 Dongus (75’)
Booked: - / Linder, Specht, Dongus
Referee: Sina Diekmann (Essen)
Attendance: 440 at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium
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