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TSG grind out win against Wolfsburg
Personnel & tactics:
Head coach Sebastian Hoeness made one change to his starting XI: Kevin Vogt missed out with adductor problems and was replaced by Kasim Adams, who played alongside Florian Grillitsch and Chris Richards in a back three in front of goalkeeper Oliver Baumann. Pavel Kadeřábek and Marco John kept their places in the wide positions. The midfield trio of Diadie Samassékou, Sebastian Rudy and Christoph Baumgartner remained unchanged, while Ihlas Bebou and Andrej Kramarić formed the strike partnership.
TSG made their first change in the 53rd minute, with Ryan Sessegnon replacing John on the left. The two strikers (Kramarić and Bebou) then made way with almost 15 minutes to go, to be replaced by Munas Dabbur and Robert Skov (77). Melayro Bogarde came on for Rudy in stoppage time to help his team get over the line (90+3). Wolfsburg's Otavio was red-carded in the final minute when he scythed down Dabbur as he raced through to add a TSG third.
Moment of the match:
The 62nd minute: Oliver Baumann came to catch a cross and missed, but Kasim Adams spared his keeper's blushes with a clearance off the line. Weghorst had a free header from several metres out moments later, but the prolific Dutchman's attempt struck the crossbar.
Number of the game: 673
VfL Wolfsburg shot-stopper Koen Casteels went 673 minutes without conceding in the Bundesliga, but Christoph Baumgartner ended that run with a spectacular strike on the eight-minute mark.
Line-ups:
TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann – Adams, Grillitsch, Richards – Kadeřábek, Rudy (Bogarde, 90+3), Samassékou, John (Sessegnon, 53) – Baumgartner – Bebou (Skov, 77), Kramarić (Dabbur, 77)
VfL Wolfsburg: Casteels – Mbabu (Joao Victor, 46), Brooks, Lacroix, Otavio – Schlager (Bialek, 84), Arnold – Baku, Gerhardt (Mehmedi, 46), Steffen (Ginczek, 71) – Weghorst
Goals: 1-0 Baumgartner (8), 1-1 Weghorst (23), 2-1 Kramarić (41)
Red card: Otavio (90+5)
Match highlights
TSG take a quick free-kick to devastating effect: Adams squares the ball to Kadeřábek, who dribbles past an opponent and crosses into the centre left-footed. Baumgartner controls the ball with his chest and hammers it at goal. It bounces off the underside of the bar and into the net. What a spectacular strike!
TSG are dictating the play but it is Wolfsburg who restore parity with their first chance. Schlager threads the ball through to Weghorst, who runs in behind from the half-way line and is clean through on Baumann. He carries the ball into the box and then pokes it past the keeper at the last second.
TSG are hit on the counter once again, with Weghorst clean through on goal. Grillitsch manages to force the forward into a slightly wide position and Baumann does well to save his shot from the left, before jumping back up to ensure there's no follow-up opportunity.
Another Kadeřábek cross leads to a goal: Bebou is in the centre but can't quite connect with the ball from the right, but Kramarić is in the right place and coolly slots home from several metres out.
Mehmedi fizzes a cross into the centre. The ball slips past Grillitsch but fortunately for him, Weghorst fires over the frame of the goal from close range.
A dead ball almost leads to an equaliser: Baumann comes out for a cross and misses, but Adams clears the ball off the line. Weghorst then has a free header from several metres out but only hits the bar. Lucky for TSG.
Match facts and statistics »
