Hoffenheim and Freiburg battle to entertaining draw
It was honours even for Hoffenheim and Freiburg in a lively draw in Sinsheim, where neither side could find a breakthrough.
Hoffenheim 0-0 Freiburg
Both of these sides have made for fascinating watching this season and it was little surprise to see them meet at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena commanding places in the upper echelons of the league table. The hosts put four past Mainz in a comfortable win last weekend and Andre Breitenreiter's side made the early running in the Matchday 7 encounter too. Grischa Prömel was frustrated to find Mark Flekken in top form, the goalkeeper twice denying the lively 27-year-old, who was trying out his shooting boots. At the other end, Ritsu Doan's strike from a wide angle was beaten out by Oliver Baumann, who was making his 400th Bundesliga appearance. Freiburg were high on morale following a second European triumph of the season in midweek - Christian Streich's men winning at Olympiacos. The visitors might have edged in front here with Christian Günter angling a low shot narrowly wide of the upright.
Looking to rise into the Bundesliga's top three, the Sinsheimers pressed hard for an opener after the restart. Christoph Baumgartner raced into the Freiburg area but fluffed his lines at the last, the Austrian international shooting over the top. Prömel then had one more pop from a corner but the opening just wouldn't arrive for the men in blue. Freiburg took the initiative, Maximilian Eggestein shooting wide after some great build-up play from Doan. The game then began to have an air of a goalless draw when Michael Gregoritsch's downward header was well fielded by Baumann. Munas Dabbur tried, and failed, to provide a dramatic late winner but there was to be no separating these two, who both remain in the top four going into the international break.
Match stats
- Baumann reached 400 Bundesliga games playing 269 for Hoffenheim and 131 for Freiburg.
- Among active players, only Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller have made more appearances than the Hoffenheim custodian.
- In 100 of his 400 matches to date, the keeper didn't concede a goal.
- Freiburg have gone 276 minutes, or almost five hours, without conceding a goal in the first half of games this season.
- Christian Streich's side recorded back-to-back scoreless draws in the Bundesliga for the first time since early 2013.
- Breitenreiter is still unbeaten as a Bundesliga coach against Streich’s Freiburg (W2, D4).
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Teams
Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) - Kabak, Vogt, Akpoguma - Kaderabek, Prömel, Geiger (Damar 64'), Angelino - Baumgartner (Dabbur 64') - Kramaric (Rudy 81'), Rutter
Unused subs: Philipp, Quaresma, Nsoki, Stiller, Bruun Larsen, Asllani
Out: Bebou (knee), Bicakcic (knee), Hübner (ankle)
Coach: Andre Breitenreiter
Freiburg: Flekken - Sildillia, Ginter, Lienhart, Günter (c) - Eggestein, Höfler - Doan (Schade 78'), Kyerah (Jeong 78'), Grifo (Weißhaupt 78') - Gregoritsch (Petersen 85')
Unused subs: Uphoff, Gulde, Kübler, Schlotterbeck, Keitel
Out: Ezekwem (muscular), Höler (match fitness), Sallai (eye socket)
Coach: Christian Streich
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