FIRST TEAM
04/24/2021

TSG denied derby win in Freiburg

TSG Hoffenheim continued their unbeaten run but were denied a derby win as they were held to a 1-1 (1-0) draw away to SC Freiburg. TSG led for much of the match thanks to Andrej Kramarić's 40th-minute opener, but Freiburg levelled through Vincenzo Grifo's spot-kick on 81 minutes.

Personnel & tactics:

Head coach Sebastian Hoeness made one change to the starting XI that had beaten Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2 in midweek, with Sargis Adamyan replacing Christoph Baumgartner on the left of the attack. Pavel Kadeřábek, Stefan Posch, Chris Richards and Ryan Sessegnon formed an unchanged back four in front of goalkeeper Oliver Baumann. Diadie Samassékou partnered Florian Grillitsch in central midfield, with Adamyan, Andrej Kramarić and Robert Skov the attacking triumvirate behind lone frontman Ihlas Bebou.

Injury forced TSG into making their first substitution at half-time, with Howie Nordtveit coming on in place of the struggling Posch. Sebastian Hoeness made an attacking double-substitution around the hour mark, as Christoph Baumgartner and Georginio Rutter were introduced instead of Adamyan and Skov (61). Richards then had to go off with an injury in the 77th minute and Kevin Vogt came on.

Moment of the match:

The 81st minute: Referee Manuel Gräfe initially believed that a foul had been committed by the attacking side following a collision between Vogt and Demirovic, awarding TSG a free-kick. But the official reviewed the footage on the pitchside monitor and subsequently gave Freiburg a penalty. Grifo stepped up and coolly slotted home.

Number of the game: 17

The opener was Andrej Kramarić's 17th goal of the season. That means the Croat has now equalled his personal record for most goals in a Bundesliga season, which he set in 2018/19.

Line-ups:

SC Freiburg: Müller – Lienhart, Schlotterbeck (Gulde, 68), Heintz – Schmid, Keitel (Tempelmann, 68), Höfler, Günter – Sallai (Grifo, 68), Höler – Demirovic (Jeong, 90)

TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann – Kadeřábek, Posch (Nordtveit, 46), Richards (Vogt, 77), Sessegnon – Grillitsch, Samassékou – Skov (Rutter, 61), Kramarić, Adamyan (Baumgartner, 61) – Bebou

Goals: 0-1 Kramarić (40), 1-1 Grifo (pen., 81)

Match highlights

17. Min.

Brilliant attack from TSG. For the umpteenth time, Grillitsch switches the play with a lovely ball. Skov cuts back to Kramarić in the box, but he fails to connect properly with the ball from a promising position. What a chance!

24. Min.

Brilliant play from Skov: the Dane fires at goal from more than 20 metres out. Müller has the sun in his eyes and can't get there in time, but unfortunately Skov's effort from range hits the bar.

30. Min.

The next good chance for Hoffenheim: Grillitsch plays the ball out to Kadeřábek, who delivers a pinpoint cross into the centre. Grillitsch shoots but his effort is blocked by Schmid.

31. Min.

Another TSG chance directly afterwards. The visitors take a short corner and Kramarić goes for goal from a tight angle, but Müller throws his arms into the air and makes a strong stop.

40. Min.

What an excellent goal! Bebou uses his blistering pace down the right and perfectly times his cross towards the unmarked Kramarić at the back post. Bebou's cross is ultra-precise and Kramarić is left with a simple close-range header.

53. Min.

TSG get lucky! Höler hits the bar with a free-kick and then Demirovic slots home the follow-up to level at 1-1, but the goal is correctly disallowed for offside.

57. Min.

Big opportunity to make it 2-0! Grillitsch plays a great through-ball to Adamyan, who turns towards goal and shoots. But the Armenian's effort flies wide.

58. Min.

Adamyan is presented with another chance to double the lead. Sessegnon delivers a perfect cross into the centre and Adamyan targets the far corner with a header, but it's agonisingly wide.

69. Min.

A chance to restore parity out of the blue: Demirovic is suddenly clean through and gets a shot away inside the penalty area. Baumann shows lightning-quick reactions and does very well to keep the lead intact.

81. Min.

Vogt attempts to clear the ball and unfortunately catches Demirovic's foot. Following a VAR review, a penalty is awarded. Grifo steps up and places the ball high into the net with a tidy finish.

Match facts and statistics »

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