[ad_1]
Led by Max Kruse, who scored one goal and set up two, Union Berlin celebrated a victory at TSG Hoffenheim at the end of matchday six. The hosts are in at least a minor crisis.
By Niklas Schenk
1899 Hoffenheim lost 1: 3 (0: 2) to 1. FC Union Berlin on Monday night (November 2, 2020) at the end of matchday six of the Bundesliga match. Max Kruse (minute 60) put the Berliners ahead with a penalty, while Munas Dabbur (80th) equalized. The final result was created by Joel Pohjanpalo (85º) and Cedric Teuchert (90º + 4th).
Without Andrej Kramaric and some other crown-related failures, Hoffenheim started the duel, the guests missing Captain Christopher Trimmel with muscle problems. The guests had their first good chance after five minutes: Julian Ryerson, who slipped into the starting lineup, narrowly missed a strong cross from the left.
Union with the best start, Awoniyi overcame
Both coaches had tactically sent their teams onto the field with a three-man chain. As a result, the guests initially had an advantage, they were close in the center and focused on counterattacks such as Taiwo Awoniyi, who shot just above the goal (10th).
With the hosts, coach Sebastian Hoeneß relied on a creative midfield. Since there were only three classic defenders on the field, there was room for five midfielders in a row in front of him. Florian Grillitsch, Dennis Geiger and Co. only played this advantage occasionally. After 14 minutes, Dabbur was cleared in a promising way, but his shot was cleared down the line by Robin Knoche.
Posch has to fall injured, Hoffenheim changes
Overall, the Berliners had a slight increase in chances in the first half, the three from Hoffenheim allowed plenty of chances. There were many holes in the home side, especially in the counterattacks. However, the hosts had to go on the defensive for the first time after 34 minutes, Robert Skov replaced the ailing Stefan Posch.
From then on, the local group performed with a four on their backs. The Berliners, however, remained more dangerous: Sebastian Griesbeck headed in on 40 minutes, but Oliver Baumann brilliantly deflected with his foot into the Hoffenheim goal. He was left with a draw at halftime, especially since Andreas Luthe defused a Dabbur header at the Berliner Tor in injury time.
Skov pushes and sees red, Kruse hits
The second race started much more cautiously. But then the excitement in the 58th minute: Union Berlin responded again and Griesbeck was free. Skov knocked him down with a shove, a clear penalty. Referee Robert Hartmann also showed Skov red, although Hoffenheim’s Ryan Sessegnon was in the penalty area. However, Skov had clearly pushed Griesbeck when he had already started the shot and did not attempt to play the ball, which is probably one of the reasons why the video referee did not intervene. Kruse converted the due penalty, unimpressed by emotion, to make it 1-0 for the guests (60th).
Hoffenheim’s team changed and brought in two new offensive forces with Christoph Baumgartner and Sargis Adamyan. But in the last third of the match, the home team often made wrong decisions. Once again it became clear how indispensable the Kramaric disappeared for weeks is for TSG.
Dabbur calls, but then comes Pohjanpalo
For a long time, the hosts did not have a significant opportunity, it had to be a single action. And the hitherto hapless Dabbur took care of that in the 80th minute. In the penalty area, the attacker faced two opponents in a tight space and threw the ball over Andreas Luthe in the Berlin home to equalize in goal.
In the finals, the guests invested more, brought in another striker to Pohjanpalo and hopefully secured the victory for Berlin. Kruse played a strong ball at the far post, Pohjanpalo slid down the middle and shot Hoffenheim goalkeeper Baumann, who unfortunately directed the ball to the corner, the 1: 2 (85).
Grillitsch criticized the referee after the match
Shortly after, Pohjanpalo could have closed the bag against Baumann, but only hit the post (88th). Substitute Cedric Teuchert upped it, who, again after Kruse’s preparatory work, made the 3-1 win perfect in injury time.
After the match, a statement from Hoffenheim’s Florian Grillitsch caused a stir. “I think the only one who did not have Bundesliga level was the referee. That was unfathomable for me,” said the midfielder, who was particularly upset about the red card on the penalty. A statement that many could hardly understand given the previous match of referee Robert Hartmann, especially since the red card on the penalty was hard but he complied with the rules.
Union Berlin climbs to seventh place in the table. Hoffenheim, who defeated champions Bayern Munich 4-1 on matchday two, have been waiting for a victory for four league games and are suddenly in a minor crisis.
On Sunday (November 8, 2020) TSG will play in Wolfsburg, Union Berlin welcomes promoted Bielefeld the day before.
Those: sportschau.de
