2nd matchday
1899 trembled against Bochum to victory
Hoffenheim’s Ozan Kabak (l) and Robert Skov celebrate the win against VfL Bochum. photo
© Uwe Anspach/dpa
Hoffenheim’s new head coach achieved the first league victory – but he sees a hair-raising initial phase for his team. The usual fighting spirit and two Zoller goals are not enough for Bochum.
In the end, André Breitenreiter stood in front of the south stand in Sinsheim for the first time and was allowed to be celebrated by the hard core of the 17,005 spectators for his successful home debut at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
His new team managed a difficult 3:2 (2:2) against Bochum on the second day of the Bundesliga match. The international ambitions of majority owner Dietmar Hopp’s club are well known, as is the opponent’s concentration on the relegation battle. “It won’t be easy for either of them, the demands are increasing,” predicted VfL coach Thomas Reis.
According to the first findings, neither Hoffenheim nor Bochum are looking forward to a creamy season where everything just slips. “It’s bitter when you have to sit there like last week and congratulate the opposing coach on the win,” said Reis.
After all, he was able to do this with an old acquaintance: Breitenreiter and Reis used to play together in the junior national team and together made the A license as a coach. The reunion before kick-off was correspondingly cordial.
VfL playful 2-0 lead
At the start of the round, Bochum lost 2-1 to Mainz 05 at home. Now VfL gambled away a 2-0 lead after Simon Zoller’s brace (10th/13th minute). “Even if the frustration is great today: I’ve seen much better things than against Mainz,” summarized Reis.
The only way to stay up in the league is through “passion, emotions, struggle,” as Zoller put it. And not about weaknesses in standards, as was evident in the goals conceded by Christoph Baumgartner (15th), Ozan Kabak (22nd) and Joker Munas Dabbur (88th). “It feels like you can solve it differently,” said Zoller disappointed. Another defeat next Sunday against FC Bayern – then the false start would be practically perfect.
The relief after the end of ten league games without a win across the season, nine of them under Breitenreiter predecessor Sebastian Hoeneß, was huge for Hoffenheim. TSG was able to get over the fact that Andrej Kramaric failed with a penalty kick to VfL keeper Manuel Riemann. Also that the Leipzig loan gave Angelino a rather inconspicuous debut on the left flank. The Dane Robert Skov, who was ousted from there, convinced on the offensive right side.
Breitenreiter “of course gladly accepted” the congratulations of his colleague, who was also 48 years old. Especially after the wild early phase of his team. “To be honest, after 20 minutes I didn’t believe that the win would be anything today,” he complained. “We were passive, we defended backwards – we’re not supposed to play football like that.”
After the 1: 3 at the start in Mönchengladbach, this year’s master coach of FC Zurich now sees the Kraichgauer on the right track: “I believe that this victory will do us a lot of good as a chest solver – and the conviction and belief that we able to achieve great things.”