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Locadia fires TSG to victory in Cologne
Personnel & tactics:
Head coach Alfred Schreuder made one change to the starting XI that beat SC Paderborn convincingly last time out, introducing Stefan Posch in place of Kevin Akpoguma. The Austrian started alongside Kevin Vogt and Benjamin Hübner in a back three in front of goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, while Pavel Kadeřábek and Robert Skov kept their places at wing-back. The midfield trio consisted of Florian Grillitsch in a slightly more defensive role and Sebastian Rudy alongside Lukas Rupp further forward. There was an unchanged strike partnership too, with Ihlas Bebou and Jürgen Locadia leading the line once more.
TSG made their first change at the start of the second half – and it was an attacking one, with Rupp making way for Sargis Adamyan. An injured Bebou came off in the 74th minute. His replacement Konstantinos Stafylidis slotted in at left-back, with Skov moving across to the right flank.
Moment of the match:
The winning goal: the video assistant referee spotted an infringement in the box and match official Robert Kampka pointed to the spot. Jürgen Locadia kept his cool and slotted home the resultant penalty in the eighth minute of stoppage time to snatch a late victory for TSG.
Number of the game: 6
The late winner in Cologne ensured TSG Hoffenheim won their sixth competitive game in a row – a club record.
Line-ups:
1. FC Cologne: Horn – Bornauw (Schindler, 83), Mere, Czichos – Ehizibue, Skhiri (Verstraete, 70), Hector, Jakobs – Schaub (Drexler, 79) – Cordoba, Terodde
TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann – Posch, Vogt, Hübner – Kadeřábek, Rudy, Grillitsch, Rupp (Adamyan, 46), Skov – Bebou (Stafylidis, 74), Locadia
Goals: 1-0 Cordoba (34), 1-1 Adamyan (48), 1-2 Locadia (90+8).
Match highlights
TSG almost score when Grillitsch slaloms his way through the defence before rounding Horn and cutting the ball back from a tight angle, but Kaderabek is tackled as he prepares to pull the trigger.
The next good chance comes when Rudy finds himself in plenty of space in the box following superb link-up play from Kaderabek and Locadia, but his shot goes wide. That'll go down as a missed opportunity.
Cordoba is afforded too much space outside the box and he has a pop at goal from around 20 metres out. Baumann dives at full-stretch and gets a touch to it but he can't prevent the shot from creeping in.
Rudy's brilliant cross into the box is met on the volley by Adamyan, who fires the ball past the powerless Horn with his left foot.
Brilliant ball to Adamyan, who tees up Locadia perfectly with a header. The striker finds himself in plenty of space and is allowed to shoot from around 18 metres out, but he narrowly misses. Hoffenheim should've taken the lead there.
TSG are awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time following an intervention from the video assistant referee. Jürgen Locadia steps up to take it and dispatches the ball low into the bottom corner.
Match facts and statistics »
