Hoffenheim hold on to deny wasteful Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen came from behind but had to settle for a point after dominating a high-intensity encounter with visitors Hoffenheim.
Goals: 1-0 Bittencourt (31'), 1-1 Gebre Selassie (57')
The opening exchanges were even, and in the 12th minute visiting attacker Andrej Kramaric had a goalbound shot blocked by Sebastian Langkamp before Bremen’s Yuya Osako hit the side netting when played in seconds later. Home skipper Max Kruse then had a volley blocked inside the area before his clever free-kick from a wide area almost caught out Hoffenheim netminder Oliver Baumann at his near post. Johannes Eggestein drilled narrowly wide at the end of a four-on-three break, but it was Hoffenheim who struck first just past the half hour when Nico Schulz raided down the left and teed up Leonardo Bittencourt inside the area. The latter calmly planted a sidefooted shot into the corner to mark his birthday with a goal. Jiri Pavlenka pushed away a Kramaric free-kick to prevent the visitors from extending their lead, though Bremen could have levelled when Theodor Gebre Selassie headed off target.
The home side started the second half strongly, and Kruse had a shot deflected over the top before they deservedly levelled on 57 minutes. It was a quality goal, too, with Ludwig Augustinsson sending over a booming cross from the left and fellow Bremen full-back Gebre Selassie heading past Baumann at the back post. Substitute Milot Rashica drew another save late on as Bremen continued to look more threatening before Kramaric almost scrambled home from close range at the other end. Rashica had two glorious chances to win it either side of the 90th minute, but the Kosovo international fired over with the first effort and couldn’t beat Baumann with the second.
Match stats
- Bittencourt scored his first goal of the season on the day he turned 25.
- Gebre Selassie's second goal of the campaign means that Bremen are the only team to have scored in every Bundesliga game this season.
- Hoffenheim are unbeaten in nine Bundesliga matches. A run of four wins in a row has been followed by a run of five draws in succession.
- The visitors have only drawn five matches in succession once before in their Bundesliga history (2009).
- Kramaric and Reiss Nelson are Hoffenheim's leading scorers this season with six goals apiece.
- Bremen's games have produced 52 goals already this season, while those involving Hoffenheim have tallied 53.
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Line-ups
Bremen: Pavlenka – Gebre Selassie, Langkamp, Moisander, Augustinsson – Langkamp, M. Eggestein, Klaassen (Rashica 64') – Osako, Kruse (c), J. Eggestein (Kainz 78')
Unused subs: Plogmann, Pizarro, Harnik, Sargent, Friedl
Out: Bargfrede (Achilles), Bartels (ankle), Johannsson (ankle), Veljkovic (hamstring)
Coach: Florian Kohfeldt
Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) – Bicakcic (Hübner 53'), Posch, Adams – Kaderabek, Bittencourt (Grillitsch 53'), Demirbay, Schulz – Kramaric – Szalai (Nelson 66'), Joelinton
Unused subs: Stolz, Brenet, Zuber, Belfodil
Out: Nordtveit (foot), Otto (foot), Rupp (cruciate ligament), Akpoguma (back), Vogt (unknown)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
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