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Stunning comeback seals point in Leverkusen
Personnel & tactics:
Head coach Sebastian Hoeness made three changes to the starting XI that claimed a last-minute win away to SC Freiburg last time out. Florian Grillitsch returned and played alongside Chris Richards and Kevin Vogt in a back three in front of goalkeeper Oliver Baumann. Kevin Akpoguma and David Raum kept their places on the flanks, while Sebastian Rudy partnered Diadie Samassékou in central midfield. Christoph Baumgartner, Ihlas Bebou and Andrej Kramarić formed the attacking triumvirate.
Hoeness then made a double switch at the interval, with the injured Akpoguma remaining in the changing room and Pavel Kadeřábek coming on as his replacement. Rudy was also withdrawn at the break, with Angelo Stiller replacing him in central midfield. Hoeness then made two attack-minded substitutions in the 68th minute, bringing on Rutter and Dabbur in place of Baumgartner and Bebou.
Moment of the match:
Munas Dabbur's equalising goal in the 83rd minute of the game. The Israel international met Georginio Rutter's low cross with a back-flick into the bottom corner to complete a sensational Hoffenheim comeback.
Number of the game: 16
When Angelo Stiller reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the 80th minute, he became the 16th player to score for TSG Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga this season. No other club in the league can match that number of individual goalscorers.
Line-ups:
Bayer 04 Leverkusen: Hradecky – Kossounou (Retsos, 82), Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie – Palacios, Demirbay (Aránguiz, 64) – Bellarabi (Adli, 64), Wirtz (Andrich, 82), Diaby – Schick (Alario, 90+4)
TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann – Richards, Grillitsch, Vogt – Akpoguma (Kadeřábek, 46), Samassékou (Adamyan, 82), Rudy (Stiller, 46), Raum – Bebou (Rutter, 68), Baumgartner (Dabbur, 68), Kramarić
Goals: 1-0 Schick (37), 2-0 Schick (63), 2-1 Stiller (80), 2-2 Dabbur (83)
Red card: Diaby (90+2)
Match highlights
A stroke of luck for TSG: from a corner-kick the ball falls to Hincapie, whose first-time left-footed shot strikes the post. Baumann was powerless there.
Now it's TSG's turn to be denied by the woodwork. The ball falls to Richards following a Raum corner, but he strikes the bar. Hradecky was rooted to the spot.
Hoffenheim are hit on the counter. Diaby is played in down the right and crosses towards the unmarked Schick at the back post. Baumann reaches his shot but the ball slides underneath him and Leverkusen lead.
What a save by Baumann: first he blocks Schick's effort with his foot, then gets straight back up and brilliantly keeps out Wirtz's follow-up.
TSG come racing out of the blocks. Stiller plays a lovely cross from a deeper position towards Kramarić, who wins the challenge but then shoots too centrally from close range.
That was too easy: Hincapie has too much space on the left and is not closed down. He crosses into the middle towards Schick, who wins the aerial battle and steers his header into the top corner. 2-0.
So close! Raum crosses left-footed into the centre. Kramarić comes out on top in the aerial duel but is kept out by the crossbar. Bad luck for Hoffenheim.
Long ball in behind the defence. Stiller shoots in the box from a tight angle and catches out Hradecky at his near post. The ball strikes the upright and goes in.
What a dream goal: Rutter does brilliantly down the flank and spots Dabbur in the centre. The Israeli meets his cross with his back to goal but steers an audacious back-flick inside the back post. Another super sub goal.
Match facts and statistics »
