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TSG come from behind to beat Schalke
Personnel & tactics:
Head coach Sebastian Hoeness made two changes to the starting XI that had drawn 1-1 away to SC Freiburg. Kevin Akpoguma replaced the injured Chris Richards and, along with Pavel Kadeřábek, Stefan Posch and Ryan Sessegnon, formed the back four protecting goalkeeper Oliver Baumann. Florian Grillitsch and Diadie Samassékou kept their places in defensive midfield. Christoph Baumgartner started in place of Sargis Adamyan on the left of attack, while Robert Skov lined up on the right and Andrej Kramarić operated in the hole behind lone frontman Ihlas Bebou.
TSG made a substitution at the break, with Skov making way for Sargis Adamyan. Sebastian Rudy and Maximilian Beier then replaced Samassékou and Bebou in the 83rd minute. Six minutes later, Mijat Gaćinović came on for Baumgartner (89).
Moment of the match:
The goal for 2-1: Andrej Kramarić scored a wonderful free-kick to reduce the deficit to 2-1 and kickstart the comeback. It was the Croat's 18th goal of this Bundesliga season. That means he is now level with Vedad Ibisevic's record from the 2008/09 campaign. No Hoffenheim player has scored more goals in a Bundesliga season.
Number of the game: 39
The victory over FC Schalke 04 means TSG now have 39 points on the board. Hoffenheim are therefore mathematically safe from relegation with two games to go, and will begin their 14th Bundesliga campaign this summer.
Line-ups:
TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann – Kadeřábek, Posch, Akpoguma, Sessegnon – Samassékou (Rudy, 83), Grillitsch – Skov (Adamyan, 46), Kramarić, Baumgartner (Gaćinović, 89) – Bebou (Beier, 83)
FC Schalke 04: Fährmann – Becker, Mustafi, Oczipka – Schöpf (Kaparos, 73), Flick, Kolasinac – Serdar (Bozdogan, 68), Harit (Skrzybski, 73) – Huntelaar (Mercan, 86), Uth (Hoppe, 86)
Goals: 0-1 Uth (12), 0-2 Mustafi (42), 1-2 Kramarić (47), 2-2 Akpoguma (52), 3-2 Baumgartner (60), 4-2 Bebou (64)
Match highlights
TSG are dictating the play, but it’s Schalke who score. Serdar regains possession in midfield and plays a one-two with Schöpf. He then spots Uth in the middle, who is left with a simple conversion from close range.
Almost an equaliser. Kadeřábek is played in brilliantly on the right. The Czech brings the ball down with his chest and squares to Bebou, but Mustafi manages to block his shot at the last moment.
Another good chance to make it 1-1. After a corner, Kramarić crosses the ball into the centre from the left. Baumgartner gets a shot away with his left foot, but it flies just over the crossbar.
Mustafi jumps the highest following a corner-kick and heads the ball home via the inside of the right post.
Skov unleashes another thunderbolt free-kick from long range. The ball takes a slight deflection on its way through and goes wide of the upright. Posch heads the ensuing corner over.
Dream goal from Andrej Kramarić: the Croat fires a free-kick from almost 22 metres out over the wall and into the net.
A chance to equalise follows immediately afterwards: Adamyan is allowed too much space and goes for goal from 15 metres, but Fährmann makes a strong save.
What a start to the second half! Kramarić sends a corner-kick into the middle from the right. Akpoguma meets it with a glancing header that loops into the far corner and levels the scores.
Another set, piece, another Hoffenheim goal. From a free-kick, Kramarić crosses into the box from a centre-right position. Baumgartner heads inside the near post to put TSG 3-2 ahead.
What's going on here? Grillitsch shows persistence and wins the ball back on the edge of the Schalke box. The Austrian plays a one-two with Adamyan before finding Bebou, who leaves Fährmann no chance with his shot and makes it 4-2.
Match facts and statistics »
