Ritsu Doan and Andrej Kramaric looked most likely to find a way through for Arminia Bielefeld and Hoffenheim respectively, but ultimately both defences held firm in Saturday's goalless draw.

Hoffenheim 0-0 Bielefeld

Hoffenheim welcomed promoted Bielefeld to their Rhein-Neckar-Arena missing a slew of first-team regulars - including Ryan Sessegnon, Christoph Baumgartner and Robert Skov - but they were nonetheless the brighter side early on. Kramaric and Mijat Gacinovic combined beautifully to set up Munas Dabbur for a shot on goal, but Bielefeld keeper Stefan Ortega was equal to the Israel striker's first-time effort. The visitors might have hit Hoffenheim on the counter soon after, but Stefan Posch stuck out a leg to deny Doan and the chance went begging. Ortega stopped a deflected Kramaric shot before Doan spun a free-kick over the crossbar at the other end, and Marco Fritz's whistle for half-time went with the deadlock intact.

Havard Nordtveit replaced the injured Kevin Vogt in central defence for Hoffenheim at the interval. The hosts' shape remained the same, though, as did their dominance, and Kramaric might have done more with another opportunity which sailed safely into Ortega's gloves at the start of the half. Sebastian Rudy found rather more power when he attempted to test the Bielefeld shot-stopper with a free-kick on the hour, but once again, Ortega stood firm. With force not working, Ihlas Bebou then went for guile with a mazy run up the right, but after beating three players he ran into Jacob Laursen. Sven Schipplock thought he should have been awarded a late penalty and Marcel Hartel blasted a shot straight at Oliver Baumann before it ended 0-0.

No goalkeeper league-wide has made more saves than Arminia Bielefeld's Stefan Ortega. - imago images / Thomas Frey

Match stats

• No goalkeeper in the division has saved more shots than Ortega, who has now kept out 72.
• Bielefeld midfield enforcer Fabian Kunze enjoyed a game-high 60 percent of duels won and covered 5.6 miles in the game.
• This was the first-ever goalless draw between these sides. Hoffenheim won their two meetings in the 2008/09 Bundesliga season to the tune of five scored and none conceded.
• The Sinsheimers have lost four of their last six league games, with this their first point of 2021.
• It was at least Sebastian Hoeneß's first clean sheet as Hoffenheim coach - they had hitherto been the only team yet to keep one this season.
• Hoffenheim have won 10 points from the five games in which Kramaric has scored this season. When the club's top scorer hasn't found the net, Hoffenheim have won only once, and claimed just five points from 11 games.

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Line-ups

Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) - Posch, Vogt (Nordtveit 46'), Adams - Rudy, Gacinovic (Belfodil 88'), Samassekou, Kramaric, John - Bebou, Dabbur (Adamyan 79')
Unused subs: Pentke, Brenet, Bruun Larsen, Bogarde, Beier, Geschwill
Out: Akpoguma (hamstring), Baumgartner (suspended), Bicakcic (knee), Geiger (hamstring), Grillitsch (abdominals), Hübner (ankle), Kaderabek (muscular), Sessegnon (knock), Skov (muscular), Stafylidis (shoulder)
Coach: Sebastian Hoeneß 

Bielefeld: Ortega - Brunner (de Medina 58'), Pieper, Nilsson, Laursen - Kunze - Doan, Hartel (Seufert 90'+2), Yabo (Schipplock 67') - Klos (c), Cordova (Gebauer 67')
Unused subs: Linner, Van der Hoorn, Soukou, Lucoqui, Maier
Out: Prietl (muscular), Voglsammer (calf)
Coach: Uwe Neuhaus

About the clubs

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