Matchday 16 - Darmstadt 98 picks up a point at 1899 Hoffenheim
Promoted Darmstadt 98 have been rewarded for a courageous performance with a point and have gained new courage in the relegation battle in the Bundesliga ahead of the winter break.
Despite trailing three times at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, the Hessians came away with a deserved 3:3 (1:2) and now have ten points to their name.
In front of 18,125 spectators, Andrej Kramaric scored from the penalty spot in the 14th minute and Ihlas Bebou (28th/66th) for TSG, who moved up to sixth place in the table with 24 points, at least overnight. Luca Pfeiffer (23') and Tim Skarke (57'/85') scored for the Hessians, who are now without a win in nine games.
Darmstadt with last squad
Darmstadt's last squad - eight professionals were missing through injury or illness - put up a valiant resistance for 90 minutes and were rewarded for their self-sacrificing fight with a partial victory in the end. Too many mistakes in defense cost coach Torsten Lieberknecht 's team a possible victory.
Hoffenheim dominated the game for long periods, but hardly showed any flashes of brilliance. Kramaric nevertheless had the chance to take the lead early on, but the Croatian narrowly missed the target with a header.
Just six minutes later, the TSG striker made the most of his second opportunity when he scored from the penalty spot. Klaus Gjasula had previously pulled Bebou, who had run clear, off his feet in the penalty area.
However, the visitors were not impressed and were rewarded for their efforts. Pfeiffer finished off a beautiful combination after an assist from Bartol Franjic. It was the first goal of the season for the striker on loan from VfB Stuttgart.
However, the joy of the equalizer did not last long. Shortly after Grischa Prömel had missed a one-hundred percent chance, the midfielder played a dream pass to Bebou, who easily rounded visiting goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen and slotted home.
Darmstadt hit back three times
After the changeover, the Lilies struck back a second time. Skarke scored with a dry low shot into the right corner from around 15 meters out, with Pfeiffer doing the rest. However, the home side's response was not long in coming. Once again, it was the striking Bebou who gave Schuhen no chance with a low shot.
The visitors seemed unable to recover from the third goal. Despite their tireless efforts, coach Torsten Lieberknecht's team were barely able to initiate any dangerous attacking moves.
In fact, Hoffenheim could have extended the lead, but John Anthony Brooks thumped the ball over the crossbar from five meters. That took its revenge in the closing stages when Skarke finished off a disastrous misplaced pass from TSG defender Ozan Kabak.
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- Tim Skarke's goal in the 85th minute brought Darmstadt back to 3-3, giving them a morale boost in their relegation battle against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
- The Bundesliga match between Darmstadt 98 and Hoffenheim took place in Sinsheim, a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
- Andrej Kramaric, a key player for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, scored from a penalty kick in the 14th minute, but Darmstadt 98 managed to respond and earn a point.
- Ihlas Bebou, a player for both TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Darmstadt 98, scored two goals for his former team, helping them secure a point in the Bundesliga soccer league.
- The Bundesliga relegation battle is heating up, with teams like Darmstadt 98 fighting to avoid Relegation, while others like Hoffenheim aim to secure a higher position in the table.
- The 1899 Hoffenheim team, coached by Torsten Lieberknecht, had a disappointing performance against Darmstadt 98, failing to impress and barely creating any dangerous attacking moves.
- TSG 1899 Hoffenheim striker Andrej Kramaric had a chance to put his team in the lead early in the game, but his header narrowly missed the target.
- Luca Pfeiffer, a forward for Darmstadt 98, scored the first goal of the season for his team on loan from VfB Stuttgart, helping Darmstadt 98 to pick up valuable points in their Bundesliga campaign.
Source: www.stern.de
