Fanshop
TSG lose hard-fought match against Dortmund
Personnel & tactics:
TSG Hoffenheim made five changes to the team that had been beaten 2-1 by Eintracht Frankfurt last time out. Goalkeeper Oliver Baumann lined up behind an unchanged back three of Kevin Akpoguma, Kevin Vogt and Stefan Posch. The returning Sebastian Rudy replaced full-back Pavel Kadeřábek on the right of defence, while Robert Skov kept his place on the left. Mijat Gaćinović made his first start for the team and lined up in midfield alongside Dennis Geiger and Diadie Samassékou – another of the new faces in the side. Head coach Sebastian Hoeness completely changed his strikeforce, with Ihlas Bebou and Ishak Belfodil replacing Andrej Kramarić and Munas Dabbur.
TSG made a double substitution on the half-hour mark, introducing Jacob Bruun Larsen and Christoph Baumgartner in place of Belfodil and Gaćinović. After falling behind, Sebastian Hoeness reacted with a triple substitution and brought on debutant Ryan Sessegnon, Florian Grillitsch and Munas Dabbur for Skov, Posch and Bebou (79).
Moment of the match:
TSG denied Dortmund clear-cut goalscoring opportunities for much of the match but a lapse in concentration in the home defence allowed Marco Reus to open the scoring on 76 minutes. Erling Haaland ran onto a headed flick-on and beat Oliver Baumann to the ball before teeing up Reus for a tap-in.
Number of the game: 5
TSG had not lost any of their five matches against BVB prior to this 1-0 defeat.
The line-ups:
TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann – Posch (Grillitsch, 79), Vogt, Akpoguma – Rudy, Samassékou, Skov (Sessegnon, 79) – Geiger, Gaćinović (Bruun Larsen, 60) – Bebou (Dabbur, 79), Belfodil (Baumgartner, 60)
Borussia Dortmund: Hitz – Piszczek (Delaney, 20), Hummels, Can – Meunier (Guerreiro, 75), Witsel, Dahoud (Bellingham, 75), Passlack – Sancho (Reus, 64), Reyna – Brandt (Haaland, 64)
Goal: 0-1 Reus (76)
Match highlights
The first major opportunity of the game falls to TSG when Skov fizzes in a cross from the left. Gaćinović slides in but fires the ball narrowly wide of the post with Hitz in no man's land.
The first big chance for Dortmund comes out of nothing. Reyna bursts through and tries to find the net from a tight angle. Baumann is already beaten but Skov manages to make a goal-line clearance and deny an opener.
Dortmund are growing into the game: Meunier heads against the bar from a corner. A lucky escape.
Dortmund take the lead out of nothing. Haaland runs onto a headed flick-on and goes clean through on Baumann. He squares to Reus, who taps it into the net.
The next big chance follows soon after as Haaland loses a one-on-one with Baumann.
TSG have a chance to restore parity when Baumgartner is threaded through, but he fires straight at Hitz. What a great opportunity!
Haaland is played in behind the defence and has a go at goal with his left foot from a narrow angle but it strikes the outside of the near post.
BVB push for a second goal: Guerreiro goes on a brilliant run and squares the ball to Reyna, who sidefoots it over the bar on the volley.
Match facts and statistics »
