TSG miss out on points in high-scoring encounter

TSG were desperate to pick up their first points of the season and manager Markus Babbel was willing to make changes to the side humiliated by Eintracht Frankfurt in matchday two. Patrick Ochs came in to replace the suspended Stefan Schröck, while Tobias Weis and Boris Vukcevic dropped to the bench. Daniel Williams and Takashi Usami took their place in the starting line-up. An early goal would have been just what Hoffenheim were looking for to settle any nerves, and that's exactly what happened after just 90 seconds. A free kick taken by Sebastian Rudy bobbled about inside the area before falling to Matthieu Delpierre. The central defender was able to get over the ball and prod it low past Baumann.

Despite taking the lead, TSG soon found themselves on the back foot. Tim Wiese was brought into action to save from Makiadi but couldn't do anything about the equaliser in the 17th minute. After Rudy failed to clear, Guede's driven effort found the bottom corner to leave Wiese still without a clean sheet in Hoffenheim colours. TSG weren't using possession effectively and just ten minutes later Freiburg had turned the game on its head. Schuster's whipped cross from the right-hand side was headed in brilliantly at the near post by Max Kruse past the indecisive Wiese. Usami created a couple of chances for TSG but Freiburg looked the more likely side to add to the scoreline before the half time whistle. The home team's best chance fell for goalscorer Guede, but this time the Hoffenheim keeper did well to get down low and save one-on-one to keep the score at 2-1.

Markus Babbel felt he had to change things and brought on Vukcevic for Volland at the break. The half time team talk didn't seem to have much of an effect though, as Freiburg almost extended their lead 32 seconds into the second period, but Kruse fired over. It wasn't until the 57th minute that TSG were finally able to get back into the game. The ball fell kindly for substitute Boris Vukcevic after he was initially tackled by Sorg, and the 22 year old buried his effort to equalise for Hoffenheim, albeit against the run of play. However, just over ten minutes later, TSG were back behind and once again as a result of a defensive error. Tim Wiese came to punch away a corner but missed the ball completely, allowing Diagne to head in for a 3-2 lead. The away fans will have started to give up hope but in the 76th minute, Hoffenheim were level again. Great work from Takashi Usami allowed him to turn on the edge of the area before unleashing an unstoppable half-volley into the back of the net.

As the match entered the final ten minutes, both sides felt they still had a chance to claim the three points, although more poor goalkeeping led to Hoffenheim's downfall. In the 84th minute, another corner was delivered deep from the right-hand side. Tim Wiese misjudged the flight of the cross and found himself stranded in the six yard box, leaving Makiadi all the time in the world to volley into an open net at the far post, making it 4-3. Freiburg weren't done there though, as they added a fifth goal three minutes before the end. A sensational pass by Kruse released substitute Freis behind the TSG back four, and his composure allowed him to take the ball past the deflated Wiese and slide it comfortably into the gaping goal.

A 5-3 win for Freiburg means that Hoffenheim sit bottom of the Bundesliga table. Markus Babbel will no doubt be wondering what he can do with his team, but the key issue is to improve the defensive side of things, having conceded 15 goals in the opening four competitive games of the season. The next chance for the TSG players to make amends is the home match against in-form Hannover 96 on Sunday 23rd September at 17.30 CET.

SC Freiburg: Baumann – Mujdza, Ginter, Diagne, Sorg – Schuster (79' Flum), Makiadi, Schmid, M. Kruse – Guede (82' Freis), Jendrisek (63' Caligiuri)

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim: Wiese – Ochs, Delpierre, Compper, Johnson – Williams, Rudy (82' Vestergaard) – Volland (46' Vukcevic), Roberto Firmino, Usami – Derdiyok (60' Joselu)

Goals: 0-1 Delpierre (2'), 1-1 Guede (17'), 2-1 Kruse (27'), 2-2 Vukcevic (57'), 3-2 Diagne (68'), 3-3 Usami (76'), 4-3 Makiadi (83'), 5-3 Freis (87')

Yellow cards: Sorg, Schuster - Johnson, Ochs, Rudy, Delpierre, Williams

Attendance: 20,000

Referee: Felix Zwayer

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