TSG overcome Stade de Reims in friendly

The best moment of the day came before the game had even kicked off. The team ran over to the 3,419 spectators sitting in the South Stand shortly before kick-off – to great applause. "Finally back together again" was the motto for this season opener in the PreZero Arena. The fans ensured a wonderful atmosphere that has been sorely missed.

The spectators almost had cause for celebration as early as the fifth minute, when new signing Angelo Stiller fired narrowly wide of the left upright from 18 metres following a nice free-kick routine. The next chance also fell to TSG, with Jacob Bruun Larsen's strike flying wide of the far post (10). Head coach Sebastian Hoeness' charges continued to dominate the match but initially did not manage to get their noses in front.

It was not until the 29th minute that TSG were rewarded. Sebastian Rudy fed Georginio Rutter in the box. The Frenchman beautifully flicked the ball back to him and the unmarked Rudy did not need to think twice, putting his side into a deserved 1-0 lead. Rutter had the chance to score himself and double the advantage 10 minutes later, however the striker was kept out in a one-on-one battle with Reims shot-stopper Rajkovic (38). Hoffenheim then made it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time, with Christoph Baumgartner heading home from a corner.

The tempo dropped somewhat in the second period. With 61 minutes on the clock, Andrej Kramarić and Pavel Kadeřábek were among a raft of substitutes introduced to the game. Both had been given an extended holiday following their involvement at the EURO.

The visitors from France halved the deficit when Sierhuis volleyed home on 67 minutes, but TSG responded perfectly: only a minute later, substitute Kramarić scored after being nicely teed up by Rutter, who produced an outstanding performance. Kramarić might have even made it 4-1 10 minutes from time, but the Croat was kept out by Rajkovic (81) and so Hoffenheim ultimately ran out 3-1 winners against Stade de Reims.

"It's an unbelievably special feeling to have fans back again. Football without spectators just isn't so much fun. We produced a very good performance today. It's obviously a shame that we didn't keep a clean sheet, but we're on the right track," said Oliver Baumann at the final whistle.

TSG Hoffenheim will play their first competitive game of the season on Monday 9 August (18:30 CET), with third-tier Viktoria Cologne the opponents in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. They will then kick off their Bundesliga campaign away to FC Augsburg on 14 August, followed by the first league home game against Union Berlin in three weeks.

Prior to the Season Opening Ceremony, representatives from the public health department for the Rhein-Neckar district came the PreZero Arena to offer COVID19 vaccines to anyone who was interested without an appointment. This initiative will be repeated at the home game against Union Berlin. Visitors to the stadium had to prove they were either vaccinated, recovered or tested.

TSG Hoffenheim line-up: Baumann (Philipp, 61) – Gaćinović (Bischof, 87), Akpoguma (Haider, 87), Vogt, Bogarde (John, 87) – Geiger (Kadeřábek, 61), Stiller – Baumgartner (Kramarić, 61), Rudy, Bruun Larsen (Beier, 61) – Rutter (Asllani, 84)

Goals: 1-0 Rudy (29), 2-0 Baumgartner (45), 2-1 Sierhuis (67), 3-1 Kramarić (68)

Match facts and statistics »