Intensive test: TSG battle for 0-0 draw against Athletic Bilbao

Markus Gisdol's side were hardly given a chance to create any scoring opportunities, the best of which fell to Roberto Firmino five minutes before the interval. Eugen Polanski played Anthony Modeste through and the striker, a little over 15 yards out and in a central position, squared the ball to Firmino. The Brazilian couldn't beat the Basque goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation though.

The first 20 minutes of the game were spent in midfield as both teams gave nothing away and tackled strongly. Hoffenheim allowed absolutely nothing through defensively – Bilbao managed only one shot on goal in the first half. A free kick from Saborit after 35 minutes went flying over the bar.

TSG were the more active team from the start and pressed the Basque side heavily during the opening 20 minutes, causing them problems. With their high tempo, Modeste, Volland & Co. made Bilbao's defence work hard, and Polanski and Rudy remained open targets in the space behind them. For that reason alone, Hoffenheim continuously won a lot of ball; time and again though it came to nothing.

Increased pace in the second half

Shortly after the break, a great first touch allowed Modeste to fire in a shot but his brilliant left-foot effort hit the post. Even if the strike had gone in though, it wouldn't have counted, as the referee signalled for offside. In the 49th minute, Kevin Volland had to be substituted after picking up a knock to the back of his thigh shortly before the break. Kai Herdling replaced him.

As the hour mark approached, things got tricky for Hoffenheim. Kike Sola had a chance in the area from six meters out but Jens Grahl made a fantastic reflex save to deny him. Both sides were pushing for a goal.

The pace of the game increased and the match went from end to end. 65 minutes in, and Bilbao had a great chance. Herrera caught a volley perfectly from 20 yards but once again Grahl was there, tipping the ball around the left-hand post for a corner. Shortly beforehand, Herrerin, Bilbao's goalkeeper, had kept out a Herdling effort with his legs.

Schipplock misses by a matter of centimetres

Soon enough, Hoffenheim's hard work in their training camp was starting to become apparent. Heavy legs and reduced effort meant passes started to go astray more often. Despite this, everyone was still working well against the ball.

There were still a few dangerous moments in attack too. Herdling started a counter attack with Firmino from a Bilbao corner. A through ball to Sven Schipplock, who had come on for Anthony Modeste, was just too long, allowing the out-rushing Herrerin to clear at the last moment.

It proved to be the last real chance of the game. After 90, intense minutes, the teams had to be content with a 0-0 draw. A good test against a well organised opponent gave the TSG staff some important insights. “I saw a lot of what we worked on in training. The game was a really good way to finish our training camp here in Austria,” said Markus Gisdol after the break. “Jens Grahl put in a really good performance. That's why he's our number two.”

Captain Andreas Beck spoke of an equal match-up: “Our opponents were technically very strong and let the ball do the work. That's why it was such an intensive game.”