22nd matchday
Matarazzo’s misery: Union wins at Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim’s coach Pellegrino Matarazzo (l) and his team were unable to win at home again. photo
© Jan-Philipp Strobel/dpa
Only two wins from eleven home games – Hoffenheim disappoints its fans again. Coach Matarazzo has to fear for his job. Berlin is taking a giant step.
Coach Nenad Bjelica’s team won 1-0 (0-0) at TSG Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga thanks to the American Joker’s late goal. The game in front of 19,050 spectators in the Sinsheim stadium was marked by protests from Union fans and yellow-red cards for Hoffenheim’s Stanley Nsoki and Berlin’s Kevin Volland.
Joker Aaronson increased the misery of TSG coach Pellegrino Matarazzo with his goal (84th minute). His team has now been without a win for eight games and disappointed again at home against an opponent from the bottom of the table. The 3-1 win against VfL Bochum, which was also the last home win to date, was three months ago. On matchday 22, the Berliners increased their gap to the relegation place with 1. FC Köln to eight points.
Kevin Vogt officially farewells
Long-time Hoffenheim player Kevin Vogt, who moved to Union during the winter break, was officially farewelled by TSG before the game – and his team almost conceded 0-1 after two minutes. Ihlas Bebou was denied by goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow from eleven meters and only hit the post on his second attempt.
Things were tough for the visitors in the early stages: Rani Khedira injured her left foot after just four minutes and had to go out. After a short orientation phase, the Berliners dared to move forward, and Benedict Hollerbach did the same as Bebou: The Union striker shot completely free in front of TSG keeper Oliver Baumann at the left post after a one-two with Kevin Volland.
Hoffenheim also suffered an important midfielder: For Grischa Prömel, the game against his former club was over after less than half an hour – with a knee injury. The home team increasingly lost the thread, while the strong former TSG striker Volland repeatedly tore their defense apart.
There was hardly any football played in the final phase of the first half: after tennis balls kept flying out of the Union fan block, referee Robert Hartmann sent the players into the dressing room and only whistled again after a twelve-minute interruption.
Nsoki and Volland clash
The protests against the possible investor entry into the German Football League were barely over in the first round when Hoffenheim’s Nsoki and his opponent Volland clashed several times on the field. First both saw yellow, then the Hoffenheim team received a yellow-red card (48th) – and two minutes later the Union attacker also received a yellow card.
During the late break, the heated tempers calmed down. Thanks also to Christopher Trimmel, the superior Matarazzo team hardly found a way through: The Union captain effectively shielded Maximilian Beier – except for one scene in the 73rd minute: But then Hoffenheim’s top scorer hit the side netting, typical of the Kraichgauer’s harmless finishes . In the end, Berlin’s lead fell almost out of nowhere, with Josip Juranovic even hitting the post for Union.