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TSG seal European qualification with win
Personnel & tactics:
Andrej Kramarić made his comeback in the starting XI. The Croat was selected for the team for the first time since his injury and was one of four personnel channges made to the line-up that won 3-1 away to FC Augsburg last time out. Ermin Bičakčić returned to the side and played alongside Stefan Posch and Benjamin Hübner in a back three in front of goalkeeper Oliver Baumann. Dennis Geiger returned to central defensive midfield, where he played alongside Florian Grillitsch. Pavel Kadeřábek and Robert Skov kept their places in the wing-back berths, while Ihlas Bebou returned to the team alongside Kramarić. The two forwards played either side of Munas Dabbur.
TSG Hoffenheim made their first changes just shy of the hour-mark with Christoph Baumgartner and Diadie Samassékou replacing Dabbur and Geiger (58). Jacob Bruun Larsen and Steven Zuber came on for Kramarić and Grillitsch a quarter of an hour later (73), with the fifth and final change by Matthias Kaltenbach a like-for-like swap in central defence as Hübner made way for Kevin Akpoguma (78).
Moment of the match:
The final whistle: at 17:19 CET, it was confirmed that TSG Hoffenheim had qualified for the Europa League next season. The convincing 4-0 victory means that TSG can no longer finish lower than seventh spot.
Number of the game: 3
The triumph against Union Berlin ensured that TSG Hoffenheim will be playing Europa League football next season. It will be their third time on the international stage – after 2017/18 and 2018/19.
Line-ups:
TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann – Bičakčić, Posch, Hübner (Akpoguma, 78) – Kadeřábek, Geiger (Samassékou, 58), Grillitsch (Zuber, 73), Skov – Kramaric (Bruun Larsen, 74), Dabbur (Baumgartner, 58), Bebou
Union Berlin: Nicolas – Schlotterbeck, Friedrich, Subotic (Parensen, 62) – Trimmel, Andrich (Kroos, 71), Prömel, Reichel – Malli (Abdullahi, 62) – Ujah (Ingvartsen, 62), Andersson (Mees, 85)
Goals: 1-0 Bebou (11), 2-0 Kramarić (39), 3-0 Dabbur (45+2), 4-0 Baumgartner (68)
Match highlights
Bebou takes advantage of his pace and surges through down the right flank before passing to Kramaric. His shot from inside the penalty box is saved by Nicolas and the loose ball is cleared at the last second with Dabbur lurking.
Huge opportunity for Hoffenheim: Bebou is clean through on Nicolas but rather than going for goal himself, he tries to pass to Kramaric and an Union defender denies what looks a certain goal.
Brilliant attack from Hoffenheim. Skov is played in excellently down the left flank and outpaces Trimmel. The Denmark international then fizzes a cross into the danger zone that Nicolas can only parry into the path of Bebou, who keeps his calm and slots home the opener.
TSG win a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area. Skov's cross takes a deflection and lands at the feet of Kramaric, who sidefoots the ball into the roof of the net.
A lovely move by TSG culminates in Kaderabek feeding the ball through to Dabbur, who keeps his cool and nutmegs Nicolas from a narrow angle. 3-0!
Kramaric goes on a brilliant solo run and has the vision to pick out Geiger in the box, but the midfielder fires narrowly wide.
Hübner plays a beautiful ball from the halfway line in behind towards Baumgartner, who beats Nicolas in a one-on-one to score his seventh goal of the season.
Match facts and statistics »
