bundesliga

Andrej Kramaric and Robert Skov help Hoffenheim come from behind to beat Bayer Leverkusen

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Hoffenheim came from behind to beat Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 20, with goals from Andrej Kramaric and Robert Skov enough for the win after Moussa Diaby's early strike.

Hoffenheim 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Goals: 0-1 Diaby (11'), 1-1 Kramaric (21'), 2-1 Skov (65')
Red card: Demirbay (90+2')

Munas Dabbur had a glorious opportunity to give Hoffenheim the lead, and score his first Bundesliga goal, with less than two minutes on the clock, but Lukas Hradecky came out on top of their one-against-one. At the other end, Diaby, who has been in excellent form of late with a handful of assists, showed he can do more than just create goals as he nutmegged Stefan Posch on his way to putting Leverkusen in front. Leverkusen's lead lasted only ten minutes, though, as Kramaric got on the end of Pavel Kaderabek's low cross to convert from close range. Karim Diaby terrorised the Hoffenheim defence and almost teed up Bellarabi, who had earlier struck the outside of the post, before Kevin Volland's shot was saved by Philipp Pentke. The Diaby-Bellarabi combination then forced another fine save out of Pentke before the offside flag stopped Volland from restoring Leverkusen's lead as the guests ended the half with a flourish.

Volland had the first big opportunity of the second half but could not get his header on target, and it proved to be a costly miss. Jonathan Tah lost possession near the halfway line and, in the blink of an eye, Hoffenheim raced forward and there was Skov to hammer under the crossbar to put the home side in the lead. Kramaric could and perhaps should have killed the game off when he struck the the crossbar with only Hradecky to beat, but it mattered little, with Kerem Demirbay seeing red for Bayer late on.

This was Robert Skov's (l.) first shot of 2020, and it hit the back of the net. - Matthias Hangst/Bongarts/Getty Images

Match stats

  • Kramaric has scored 39 of his 56 Bundesliga goals in the months from January to May.
  • All three of Skov's Bundesliga goals have come at the PreZero Arena.
  • Leverkusen lost for the first time this season after taking the lead. Previously, they had won ten and drawn two of the games they had been leading in.
  • Coaches Alfred Schreuder and Peter Bosz player together at Feyenoord and NAC Breda in the 1990s.
  • Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky is yet to be on the winning side against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga (D5, L5).

Line-ups

Hoffenheim: Pentke – Posch, Akpoguma, Hübner (c) – Kaderabek, Rudy, Samassekou, Baumgartner (Grillitsch 66'), Skov – Dabbur (Adamyan 59', Bicakcic 82'), Kramaric
Unused subs: Esser, Stafylidis, Nordtveit, Bebou, Zuber, Lucas Ribeiro
Out: Baumann (knee), Belfodil (knee), Elmkies (knock), Geiger (thigh)
Coach: Alfred Schreuder

Leverkusen: Hradecky – L. Bender (c), Tah, S. Bender, Sinkgraven (Alario 74') – Baumgartlinger (Amiri 74'), Demirbay – Bellarabi (Bailey 46'), Havertz, Diaby – Volland
Unused subs: Özcan, Lomb, Dragovic, Wendell, Weiser, Stanilewicz
Out: Aranguiz (torn calf), Palacios (suspended), Paulinho (international duty)
Coach: Peter Bosz