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TSG concede late equaliser against Stuttgart
Personnel & tactics:
Many players were absent but Andrej Kramarić and Håvard Nordtveit both made their comebacks as head coach Sebastian Hoeness made five changes to the team that lost 2-1 to VfL Wolfsburg Nordtveit made his first start of the season and lined up alongside the fit-again Stefan Posch and Kevin Akpoguma in a back three in front of shot-stopper Oliver Baumann. Ihlas Bebou was reintroduced to the starting line-up at right-back, while Ryan Sessegnon kept his place on the left side. Dennis Geiger, who was wearing a splint after fracturing his hand, returned to the midfield alongside Florian Grillitsch and Diadie Samassékou, while Kramarić partnered Christoph Baumgartner in attack.
TSG switched to a back four at half-time. Bebou then shifted forward into an attacking role and Posch filled in at right-back. Hoffenheim made their first switch in the 75th minute, with Mijat Gaćinović replacing Grillitsch. In the closing stages, João Klauss (86) and Maximilian Beier (90) came on for Baumgartner and Kramarić.
Moment of the match:
The equaliser at 3-3: TSG were on the verge of sealing their first win since Matchday 2, only for Marc-Oliver Kempf to score a late leveller for Stuttgart following a throw-in and a headed flick-on.
Number of the game: 7
Andrej Kramarić's goal to put TSG Hoffenheim 3-2 ahead was his seventh in just four Bundesliga matches. The Croat has scored at least one goal in every single appearance this term.
Line-ups:
TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann – Posch, Nordtveit, Akpoguma – Bebou, Grillitsch (Gaćinović, 76), Samassékou, Geiger, Sessegnon – Kramarić (Beier, 90), Baumgartner (Klauss, 86)
VfB Stuttgart: Kobel – Stenzel (Klement, 75), Anton, Kempf – Wamangituka, Endo, Magala, Coulibaly (Sosa, 59) – Castro (Förster, 75), Didavi (Klimowicz, 59) – Gonzalez (Kalajdzic, 32)
Goals: 1-0 Baumgartner (16), 1-1 Gonzalez (18), 1-2 Wamangituka (27), 2-2 Sessegnon (48), 3-2 Kramarić (penalty, 71), 3-3 Kempf (90+3)
Match highlights
That was close: first Akpoguma blocks a shot, then Nordtveit loses the ball on the edge of his own penalty area. Didavi has a go at goal from a centre-left position but shoots just wide.
Baumgartner attempts to thread the ball in behind to Kramarić but his pass is intercepted. The ball comes back to the Austrian, who then dribbles past an opposing defender and fires a shot into the bottom right corner.
Brilliant individual play from Gonzalez, who dribbles past two Hoffenheim players down the right flank and slots into the bottom left corner.
A bizarre goal to concede: Gonzalez heads a Didavi cross against the bar and Wamangituka hits the upright with his follow-up, but the loose ball falls to the winger again and he finds the back of the net at the second attempt.
Almost 3-1! Wamangituka rounds off a counter with a nice effort aimed at the far corner, but Baumann makes a full-stretch save and tips the ball around the post.
Kramarić shields the ball and perfectly feeds it into the path of Sessegnon, who has plenty of space and fires in at the near post.
Brilliant chance on the counter for TSG. Baumgartner dribbles into the penalty area and is then stopped, but the ball falls to Kramarić. He fails to beat Kobel from close range, however.
Kramarić plays it perfectly through to Grillitsch, who can only be stopped with a foul. Kramarić hits the ensuing penalty into the bottom corner to make it 3-2.
Heartbreaking! A throw-in is flicked on into the centre towards Kempf, who finds the bottom right corner.
Match facts and statistics »
